


The Marauders: Year One (Female)

by Remus_la_swearwolf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Abused Sirius Black, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Antonin Dolohov x Fabian Prewett, F/F, F/M, Fem wolfstar, Marauders, Marauders era, Suicidal Thoughts, fem marauders, gender bent marauders, jily, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2020-09-24 07:03:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 56
Words: 124,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20354365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remus_la_swearwolf/pseuds/Remus_la_swearwolf
Summary: It's the Marauders' first year at school, and it's going to be full of madness, mayhem, and above all, magic. (Sirius Black, Jamie Potter, Remus Lupin, and Petra Pettigrew.)





	1. Bitten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this story, I'm on wattpad with the same name, and remus-la-swearwolf on tumblr

Remus pulled her covers up to her chin and shivered. It was late at night, and the house was dark and silent. 

Remus didn't know why she had awoken; only she knew something wasn't quite right. Moonlight dappled the shadowed ceiling, streaming in through the ajar window. It swung slightly, in the breeze off the moor. Remus stared at it, certain that it hadn't been open when she'd gone to sleep earlier. 

Fighting the impulse to call for her parents, Remus reluctantly tossed her covers aside, and sat on the edge of her bed. She gauged the dark distance between the safety of her bed and the window, deciding whether or not it was worth the risk. 

She couldn't call for her mother or her father again; over the past couple weeks, Remus had disturbed them at all hours of the night due to her increasing night terrors, and her fear of 'the man under the bed'.

Each night, Lyall Lupin had rushed to his daughter's bedroom, closely followed by his wife, Hope, to ensure their child was safe. When Remus explained the situation, her parents, with tired eyes and increasingly frequent sighs bent down to check what was underneath the bed. After casting a light underneath, they would tell her that there was nothing there, and that it was just her overactive imagination playing tricks on her.

Remus gathered up her courage. Not tonight. Tonight, she'd be brave, and she wouldn't call for her mother and father. She swallowed nervously as the darkness toyed with her mind, and made her see shadows where there shouldn't be, skittering under the bed like rats.

Remus took a deep breath and leapt off of her bed, well away from the edge. She spun around, her heart racing, expecting some sort of terrible monster to be grinning behind her in the dark.

But her room was still empty, and she was still alone. Remus crept to the swinging window, unable to shake the feeling of unease that overcame her, and gave her that sensation of dropping in her stomach.

She cast another furtive look about the room, and scampered over to the window, telling herself she was just being stupid as usual. 

She hopped onto the chair by her window so that she could reach the it, despite being tall for a child of nearly five. Her clumsy fingers closed around the handle, and she pulled it shut, letting out a sigh of relief once it was done. 

Encouraged, she slid off the chair, and began to walk back to her own bed. She didn't notice the jagged marks carved onto the windowsill, or the smears of blood and saliva that came after them.

She still wasn't quite brave enough to venture too close to the gap under her bed, though. Eyeing the shadowy space with trepidation, she jumped onto the bed, feeling an immense sense of relief once she was safely returned, and that the window was closed. 

She sat in the middle of her bed for a moment or two, her feet hanging off the edge. She slowed her rapid breathing, and focused on telling herself that everything was all right, and to back to sleep and to forget about it--

Remus froze as the bed shook, and seemed to rise and fall and breathe as if it were alive.

If she called her parents right now, they'd come running, and check under the bed as they always did. And then they'd shake their heads, and sigh, and explain to Remus that there was nothing there and nothing to fear--

Remus could only let out a faint moan of terror as her stomach dropped sickeningly, and an icy, rough hand grasped her ankle tightly.

She stared at it a minute, her heart in her throat, as a dark, shadowy shape emerged from the void under her bed.

Once it was out, it released her ankle, and straightened to its full, terrifying height. 

Petrified, Remus could make out the outline of a bulky man, who seemed to be shuddering with every heartbeat, and writhing in his own skin.

Despite this, he seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly. His yellowish eyes glinted promisingly at Remus in the dark, and his sharpened teeth gleamed in the faint moonlight as he grinned widely.

'I wondered when I'd be meeting you,' he said, his voice thick and gravelly. 'You're Lyall's kid, aren't ya?'

Remus nodded, shaking uncontrollably. She glanced towards her open door, but the man noticed this, and slammed it shut silently with a flick of his wand.

'Scream, and I'll kill them both,' he growled.

Remus crawled back further on her bed.

He shook back his filthy, matted hair. 'Well I'm Fenrir. Fenrir Greyback. You probably haven't a ruddy clue why I'm here. I believe it's only fair I tell you before--' he glanced out the window, 'well, before I'm done.'

Remus gazed at him with huge eyes. If only tonight hadn't been the night she'd chosen to be brave. If only she'd called for her mother and father like she always did. None of this would he happening, her father would have dealt with him by now, and Remus would be safe and sound, in her mother's arms.

Instead, the huge man before her cracked his neck from side to side. 'Had a little run in with your old man a short while back. Took me in for questioning at the Ministry. Meddling in affairs that ain't got nothing to do with him. He almost had them Ministry goofs convinced, though it came to nothing. Seemed convinced I wasn't quite...' he grinned, evidently enjoying this. 'Well, you'll see. Anyway, he offended me, and my kind, and this is me showing him. You don't offend me and get away with it.'

A shiver went down Remus's back at the words 'my kind'. What wasn't this man 'quite'? 

Her voice was hoarse and crackly as she spoke. 'Sh-showing him what?'

'What it's like,' he said simply, drawing nearer, until Remus could smell the foul stink of his breath, and the odour of his sweat sodden robes. 

He turned to face the window, the moon illuminating his sharp and scarred features, as it neared its highest point--

Remus stifled a scream as the man suddenly let out a wild growl, and crumpled in on himself, groaning in pain.

His bones seemed to be snapping and stretching out of place, and thick, bristly fur erupted from his skin like spines. 

His robes stretched and ripped as his body expanded, and his face elongated into a wide, heavy muzzle, with two glaring, angry eyes fixed on Remus.

Remus screamed.

As the creature threw back it's head and howled, Remus could hear Lyall yelling, and rushing over. He pounded at the door, blasting it to bits with his wand, and barging in.

He let out a gasp of horror as he saw the creature before him.

It had been desperately leaping the door, again, and again, driven mad by the scent of human flesh and blood, whimpering horribly high pitched whines, until the door finally gave in to the combined forces and shattered into splinters with a huge CRACK.

Remus could not move. A mighty beast faced her father, a canine creature with glowing red eyes, scruffy blackish grey fur that was patchy and mangy, huge, heavy paws with long, sharp claws, used to rip and tear and kill, and finally the slavering, dripping jaws, hung wide open, drool slipping down to the floor, the tongue lolling madly... Werewolf, thought Remus.

It leapt at her father, who deflected it with a roared, 'PROTEGO!' A shield charm sprung up between the two.

Surprisingly, it worked against the wolf, who fell backwards with a low grunt. Hope ran down stairs to the kitchen to arm herself. The wolf turned away from the larger threats to face Remus. Its eyes gleamed wickedly at the prospect of another meal. 

Hope saw Remus and screamed. 'NO!' Her voice rent the air, but still it was not enough to save little Remus from what was in store for her.

Remus could not recall any other time she had felt more scared. She sat there, frozen and wide eyed, as the wolf kicked off the floor, and bounded onto the bed beside her, in slow motion...

Now, if she had been a little quicker, Remus might have escaped by a couple inches. For a couple inches, they could have been a wholesome, happy family, with bright prospects ahead of them. All for a couple of inches. 

But these were all ifs. Her father's eyes were stretched wide with horror, his mouth wide open in a silent 'NO!' that Remus could not hear, as the wolf knocked flat on her back, and held her beneath it, its horrific breath petrifying her.

Remus closed her eyes and accepted her imminent death. The wolf savoured her fear scent for a moment, then leaned in and took a horrible, crunching bite somewhere near her collarbone. She was sure it took a chunk of flesh with it. She screamed wildly in agony.

That was what it took for her father to come to his senses. Her roared wildly in unintelligible anger, and began to fire all sorts of unknown hexes at the wolf in all sorts of different colours.

The wolf picked up Remus's limp form in its jaws, and fled from the room. It tumbled down the stairs, snapping and barking, its jowls dripping with blood. 

Lyall cast a curse at the wolf and it dropped Remus by the door. Hope charged at it with a rolling pin, but was kicked back by the creature's powerful hind legs, claws tearing into her skin. It threw itself at the door until it broke, and raced out satisfied, the job done.

Lyall stood a sweaty mess in the broken doorway, silhoueted by the accursed, beautiful, wicked moonlight, heaving, his face ashen, and his hair filled with dust and debris.

All because of a damned Werewolf Legislation. All because of a piece of parchment, and his damned big mouth. All because of a stupid act, that only hurt, and benefitted nobody. All because he hadn't been fast enough. All because of a few, tiny, damn inches.

Lyall dropped to his knees, by his daughter's broken body, and his wife's unconscious, mangled form. He tried to send off a Patronus for help, but found he could not conjure one. He was not sure who he would call anyway. His daughter was a werewolf now. Who would help her? How was she to ever have a future? He was seeing it all from quite a different perspective now. A feeble silver wisp came from the tip of his wand. Lyall raised his head to the starry sky outside, and howled his misery to the moon.


	2. The Noble House of Black

Sirius's fingers grappled with the tight, lacy collar of her dress robes. It was a special occasion, the departure of the Black heiress to Hogwarts, and the whole family was there.

Her mother, Walburga Black, had insisted that Sirius and her younger sister, Regula looked their best, as her cousin Bellatrix, and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange would be there. 

Bellatrix was a follower of a man called the Dark Lord, or Voldemort. The Dark Lord hated Muggles, and believed in purging the Wizarding World of all those unworthy in his eyes. That included Muggleborns, or Mudbloods, Blood Traitors, and half-bloods who dared to oppose his agenda.

Sirius's parents idolised the Dark Lord, and what he stood for. Whilst they would not get directly involved as Bellatrix had, they supported his cause financially, and caused trouble for the Muggles when they could.

Orion Black deeply resented the Statute of Secrecy, and he would often walk around in his wizard attire, hexing any Muggle who dared to look at him oddly or to speak to him. He should have been in Azkaban by now, but the Ministry didn't dare, as the Blacks were a high profile pureblood family, and their pockets were lined with riches enough to turn away the eyes of the Ministry.

Orion sat at the head of the table, with Sirius and Walburga by his sides. He raised his goblet of mead. 'To the family heiress! And the continuation of the pure bloodline of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black!'

The other members of the Black family murmured their assent as they raised their goblets.

Sirius squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, and tugged at her collar. She made eye-contact with Andromeda, and Uncle Alphard, and they both gave her wistful, yet encouraging smiles. 

Walburga grabbed Sirius's hand under the table to stop her squirming. 

Orion continued with his speech. 'Of course, Sirius will be sorted into the noble house of Salazar Slytherin, as the Blacks have been for centuries.'

Here, he glared at Sirius, as if to warn her of what would happen if she was not sorted into Slytherin.

Sirus suppressed a chuckle; she had no intention of being put in Slytherin. It couldn't be all bad, as Andromeda was to be the head girl in Slytherin this year, but on the whole, from what Sirius had seen, Slytherins were just a bunch of gits and purist bullies.

Regula looked at Sirius with awe. Sirius wished she wouldn't. She wasn't fit to be any sort of role model for her sister, one that wouldn't get her killed by the family, anyway.

Looking at Bellatrix's dark, shining eyes, glowing from within with a mad light, Sirius shuddered. She wondered how many Muggles and Muggleborns Bellatrix killed this year. 

It wasn't like Regula would follow in Sirius's footsteps, though. She was a follower, and was far too afraid of what Orion and Walburga might say or do, if she rebelled in any way. She would end up a brainwashed puppet, just like the rest of them.

Orion's loud voice shook her from her thoughts. 'Learn and study well at your subjects, so that when the time comes, you can join the Dark Lord, and serve him well!' Orion beamed, and Bellatrix cackled joyously. 

Andromeda rolled her eyes, and Narcissa hid behind her hair. 

Sirius did not reply to her father. She gave him the smallest of nods, knowing that by this time tomorrow, she would be an outcast in this family. They already shunned Andromeda for dating Ted Tonks, a Muggleborn, but she was at least in Slytherin. Sirius fully intended to be sorted into Gryffindor, the House which was surest to make her parent's blood boil in their veins.

As Orion finished his speech (much of which Sirius had drowned out, dreaming about winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor, and other things that would make her parents want to kill her) the rest of the Blacks tucked into the delicious and lavish meal the House Elves had prepared. 

Kreacher came staggering in, nearly bowled over under a massive silver tray twice his size. As he slid it onto the table, giving Sirius the usual filthy glare, which Sirius returned with ardour, he knocked Bellatrix's goblet over, spilling mead all over her dress.

She screamed in anger, a horrible, high-pitched sound. 'Your filthy little elf just ruined my dress!' she shrieked at Walburga. Kreacher cowered in terror. 'How DARE you? Crucio!'

As she aimed her wand at the shrivelled elf, he crumpled up, screaming, and sobbing, and begging for mercy. Although Sirius hated the elf, she could not help but feel sorry for him. 

Regula stood up, and ran to Bellatrix's side. 'Stop it!' she yelled, pulling down on Bellatrix's wand arm. 'Stop it! He's done nothing wrong! It was an accident!'

Bellatrix was so shocked that Regula would dare to interrupt her that she paused. Down on the floor, Kreacher writhed and sobbed. The whole table stared at the scene, mesmerised. 

Bellatrix glared at Orion. 'What is the meaning of this?' she demanded. 'Your daughter would come to the defense of filthy vermin rather than her own blood?' She aimed a sharp kick into the elf's side, and Regula hissed at her in an uncharacteristic display of rebellion. 

Orion looked dumbfounded. He gaped at Bellatrix, stuttering, until he found his voice. Being a Death Eater had changed her. 'I - I - I - well - SIT DOWN, REGULA. The Elf is beneath you. Do not follow in the footsteps of your sister. If she's not careful, she will amount to nothing. First, we have the incident with that filthy Muggle, and now this!' Orion's normally pale face was flushed with colour, due to the effects of the mead, and Regula's outburst.

Cowering, Regula slunk back to her seat, but not before making sure Kreacher was out of Bellatrix's sight. Andromeda quickly cleared up the mess before her sister could raise another fuss. 

The whole table sat in silence. Sirius cringed as she remembered the 'incident with that filthy Muggle', as Orion called it. 

Almost a year ago, Sirius had decided to see what was so terrible about Muggles, as her parents described. When her father was at work, or her mother was busy or out, Sirius would sneak out of the oppressive house of Grimmauld Place, and she would watch the Muggles go past at the local park. 

There had been one boy in particular who got her attention. He would often sit by himself, reading, or just watching the playground or thinking, contemplating the scene before him.

He was there nearly every single day, and it had taken Sirius weeks before she had the courage to go up to him, and talk to him. 

His name was Matthew, she soon learned, Matthew Clarke. He lived in a house nearby, and he had two sisters, and one brother. He was the middle child, and he didn't always have the easiest time at home, so he came to the park nearly every day to have some time to himself, and to de-stress. 

Sirius empathised with him. She knew what it was like to walk into your home, and to feel the weight of all the injustices upon the air, to suffocate in the oppressive air, thick with hatred. 

Sirius wished she could tell him some of her secrets to him as well, but she couldn't. Hers were very different to his. She couldn't reveal one without revealing the other, so she simply told him that she and her family did not get on.

The two of them soon became fast friends, and would meet as often as they could, when Sirius's parents were busy. This continued for two months, and Sirius even met his siblings. They seemed alright, if not a bit rowdy and rambunctious.

However, the friendship had to come to its fateful end. After losing track of time, Sirius realised that she had to return to her house. She was an hour late. Walburga would be home by now. Panic filled her chest, and clutched around her heart.

Sirius hadn't known the way back home from the ice cream shop they had gone to, so Matthew had had to guide her back.

When Sirius entered Grimmauld Place, she spotted Walburga standing in front on number 12, invisible to the Muggles, her arms crossed. 

'Where's your house?' Matthew asked in confusion.

Sirius frowned,wondering what she should tell him. 'It's round the corner. I'll be fine. Don't follow me.'

If Walburga saw her with a Muggle, she was as good as dead.

Matthew looked hurt. 'Oh, okay. See you later, then.'

'See you,' Sirius repeated blankly, desperately trying to think of excuses, and not of what her mother would do to her. 

She was almost at the house without an incident, when she heard Matthew calling her name. 

'Sirius!' he yelled. 'Oi, Sirius!'

Walburga's angry face whitened, and the harsh lines became more stark. 'What is the meaning of this?' she asked Sirius, her eyes freezing. 'What is that filthy Muggle doing calling your name?'

Her lip curled into an angry sneer as Matthew hurtled past, Sirius's hat in his hand, looking for her. 

'Sirius!' he yelled. 'Sirius! You left your hat!'

Sirius closed her eyes and offered a prayer to Merlin, or to whoever was up there listening. 

Walburga dragged her by her hair, and carried her into the house, shrieking. She banged Sirius's head into the wall repeatedly, and left Sirius in a dazed pile on the floor. 

Then she headed back outside, and dragged Matthew in, yelling in shock at being dragged into a house that had not been there before by a vicious woman. 

Walburga dragged him down into the basement, and for what seemed like an age, Sirius lay by the door, her ear pressed to the floor, listening to Walburga's screeched hexes and curses, and Matthew's sobs and screams for help and mercy. Regula came scampering down the stairs at the noise, and took a cautious peek down.

Through the tears, Sirius waved her away. Regula took one last scared look at Sirius, and then retreated back to the safety of her room. 

When the screams finally subsided, Sirius let out a sigh of relief. The sound of Walburga's heavy shoes thundering up the stairs were sweet relief to her, until the door opened, and she saw the limp, bloody mess that Walburga was dragging after her. She tossed it to the floor, and it shook a little, tremors going through it, as it sobbed in pain and misery.

Walburga sneered down the end of her nose at the bloody mess that was Matthew. 'Obliviate,' she spat, pointing her wand at him.

Sirius watched in horror as he flinched at the sight of the wand, and then his swollen, puffy, blood-filled eyes went glassy, and then blank. 

There was no telling what Walburga had done to him, if she had used Unforgivables (she didn't doubt it), or if the damage would ever be reparable.

Even if his broken body ever healed, there was no telling if his mind would ever heal, from the torture, or the Obliviate. 

Walburga was by no means a professional Obliviator, so the spell could very well drive him mad.

Two months of friendship, gone. Sirius would no longer exist to him, she was never there. It was possible that Walburga had gone too far, and erased his entire memory. His family wouldn't exist to him. He wouldn't know who he was, he'd be nothing; nobody.

Walburga opened the door, and levitated his body outside, dumping it on the pavement for a passer-by to find. A ray of light poured into the dark house, and then it was extinguished as Walburga slammed the door shut.

She turned to Sirius. 'And now for you.'

The rest of the dinner party was held in silence, inbetween Narcissa asking for the salt, or Rodolphus asking for the salad.

Bellatrix sat hunched over her food, shooting venomous glances about the table, particularly at Andromeda, the Blood Traitor, and at Regula. 

Sirius regarded her family with disgust, and was relieved that she wouldn't be seeing them for a while after this. She just hoped that they wouldn't completely corrupt Regula whilst she was gone. 

As Sirius thought of her new life at Hogwarts as a Gryffindor, she glanced at her younger sister, and prayed she could find it in herself to forgive her.


	3. Down By the Pond

Severa sat in her dingy little room, her hands clasped firmly over her ears. Despite this, she could still hear the argument that was raging on down below.

'Don't - know - why - I - married - you - you - filthy - MUGGLE!' she heard her mother scream angrily at her father. There was a crash as something exploded, probably a result of Eileen's out of control magic.

She heard a bellow from her father. 'I DON'T KNOW WHY I MARRIED YOU EITHER, WITH ALL YOUR STUPID MAGIC TRICKS, WITCH!'

Eileen laughed manically. 'I'll tell you why, you useless layabout! You thought that you would have an easy life, filled with riches and comforts, didn't you? That you wouldn't have to work, wouldn't have to earn money? That you could lie about all day, and I would serve you hand and foot, all while you depend on me and me alone? WELCOME TO REALITY!' Eileen screamed as a vase smashed against the wall.

Severa muttered Potions ingredients, and incantations under her breath to distract herself. She wondered if her parents had ever truly been in love. Perhaps Eileen Prince had. Before marrying Tobias Snape, she had been the beautiful daughter of a rich Pureblood family, who supported her and gave her what she needed. 

As Eileen fell in love with Tobias, all Tobias saw was an easy life, without having to work, and a beautiful wife to boot.

However, when Eileen's family found out, all the support and money stopped, and Eileen found herself dependent on Tobias, and his paychecks, which rarely came. 

As a result, her and Tobias often fought, and poor Severa was caught in the crossfire more than once when she had tried to get involved, so now she just waited it out, or tried to escape the house. 

As more china and glass smashed, and her parents' voices grew louder and louder, Severa found that she could not take it any longer. The cup on her bedside table exploded, and Severa leapt up and ran from the room, making a desperate dash down the stairs for the front door. 

As she stepped onto the sunnier street outside, it was a relief from the smothering atmosphere inside, despite the smog that filled the air on Spinner's End. Cokeworth was an industrial town, and the chimneys of many busy factories dotted the skylines.

As Severa walked, she found herself going in a familiar direction: to the park where they often played.

Two boys were swinging backward and forward on the old swingset. Severa sat watching them from behind a clump of bushes. She felt ashamed to talk to them, her black hair being uneven as it was, and her clothes so shabby and odd compared to theirs. 

She watched the younger of the two boys swinging higher and higher than his brother, higher than he should have been able to go.

"Lillian, don't do it!" shrieked the elder of the two.

But Lillian had leapt off the swing as it swung up to the highest point, and flown into the air. He launched himself upwards with a great shout of laughter, and instead of thumping to the ground and injuring himself, he'd soared to the ground gracefully, like a leaf in the breeze. His long, red hair flew out behind him, rippling in the wind.

"Mummy told you not to!"

The blonde boy brought his swing to a halt by digging his sandals into the ground.

"Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lillian!"

"But I'm fine," said Lillian, still giggling. "Pat, look at this. Watch what I can do."

Patrick's eyes swept the playground, to make sure they were alone. If anyone saw Lillian's freakish powers, there was no telling what could happen. Lillian plucked a blossom fallen from the bush behind which Severa hid. Her breath caught in her throat as the red head approached. Patrick watched reluctantly, grudgingly curious. Lillian waited until Patrick was right beside him, and then closed and opened his palm. The flower opened and closed like a venus fly trap.

"Stop it!" shrieked Patrick shrilly.

"It's not hurting you," frowned Lillian, but he closed his hand on the blossom and threw it back to the ground.

"It's not right," said Patrick, but his eyes found the fallen blossom, and stayed on it. "How do you do it?" 

Severa could hear the jealousy in his voice. She stepped out from behind the bushes, unable to contain herself for any longer. She stepped out from behind the bushes. "It's obvious, isn't it?" 

Patrick let out an exclamation of surprise, and ran away, but Lillian stayed where he was, staring at Severa, although he was clearly startled as well. Severa regretted how she looked, as her pale cheeks reddened.

"What's obvious?" 

She glanced at Patrick, who was cowering by the swingset. "I know what you are."

"What do you mean?"

"You're...you're a wizard," whispered Severa.

"That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"

Lillian looked deeply offended, and strutted back towards his brother.

"No!" exclaimed Severa. This was not at all going as she had planned. The odd coat she wore flapped, making her look like a bat, but she did not take it off, as that would reveal the even odder smock underneath.

Both brothers regarded him uneasily, holding onto the swing posts. 

"You are. You are a wizard. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's a witch, and I'm one, too."

Patrick chuckled nastily. "Witch! I know who you are. You're that Snape girl! They live down Spinner's End by the river," he said, his tone making it clear that he did not approve of this address. "Why have you been spying on us?"

"Haven't been spying," said Severa, hot and uncomfortable and dirty-haired in the bright sunlight. "Wouldn't spy on you, anyway," she added spitefully, "you're a Muggle."

Patrick did not know what Severa was saying to him, but the tone she used with him made the gist of what she was saying clear.

"Lillian, come on, we're leaving!" Lillian followed at once, shooting Severa a dirty look. Severa watched them leave, disappointment clear upon her face. 

That day, Severa returned home disappointed, but after meeting Lillian in the park a few more times without his brother, they were soon the best of friends.

One hot afternoon, Severa and Lillian sat in a cool thicket of trees they had found exploring. A stream splashed and gurgled in between the trees. 

Severa was telling Lillian about the Wizarding World. "...and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside school, you get letters."

"But I have done magic outside school!"

"We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven," she nodded importantly, "and they start training you, then you've got to go careful."

Lillian picked up a twig, and twirled it, pretending it was a wand. "It is real, isn't it? It's not a joke? Patrick says you're lying to me. Patrick says there isn't a Hogwarts. It is real, isn't it?"

"It's real for us," replied Severa snidely. "Not for him. But we'll get the letter, you and me."

"Really?" 

"Definitely," Even with her odd hair and mismatched clothes, she struck an oddly impressive figure sprawled there, full of assurance.

"And will it really come by owl?" Lillian whispered.

"Normally," said Severa after some thought, "But you're Muggle-born, so someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents."

"Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?"

Severa bit her lip, hesitating. Lillian wasn't like other Muggleborns. She took in his eager face, and deep red hair.

"No," she sighed. "It doesn't make any difference."

"Good," heaved Lillian, relaxing.

"You've got loads of magic. I saw that. All the time I was watching you..."

She watched him greedily as he lay on his back and stared at the leafy cannopy.

"How are things at your house?" he asked.

Severa frowned.

"Fine," she answered shortly, wishing she had never told him.

"They're not arguing anymore?"

"Oh yes, they're arguing," Severa snorted, tearing apart leaves, "But it won't be that long and I'll be gone."

"Doesn't your dad like magic?"

"He doesn't like anything, much."

"Severa?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about the dementors again."

"What d'you want to know about them for?"

"If I use magic outside school - "

"They wouldn't give you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too - "

She blushed again and shredded more leaves. There was the sound of leaves breaking from a tree nearby, and Patrick slid into view as he lost his footing.

"Pat!" Lillian welcomed his brother, but Severa was not so eager. 

"Who's spying now?" she shouted, leaping to her feet. "What d'you want?"

Patrick struggled for something cruel to hurt Severa with. "What is that you're wearing, anyway?" he said, pointing at Severa's chest. "Your mum's blouse?"

There was a crack. A branch over Patrick's head had fallen. Lillian screamed as the branch caught Patrick over the shoulder, and he burst into tears.

"Pat!"

Patrick had fled. 

"Did you make that happen?" Lillian asked angrily, turning on her.

"No." Severa looked frightened at the prospect of losing her only friend. Whilst she had made it happen through her anger, she could not fully control her magic yet.

"You did! You did! You hurt him!"

"No - no, I didn't!"

The lie did not convince him. He sprinted off after his weeping brother, leaving Severa hurt and miserable.

Lillian and Severa did not speak for several days after the incident, until Lillian waited for her at the thicket, and invited her to his house for lunch as a peace offering. The Evans absolutely loved Severa, despite Patrick's hatred of her. They were glad Lillian had a friend, and someone like her who could explain everything to them. They were absolutely fascinated, and were thrilled when Severa's mother offered to take them with her to Diagon Alley to get school supplies. 

A delegate from Hogwarts had been sent on Lillian's birthday, as well as a letter, but since he was to go to Diagon Alley with Severa, the delegate would not be accompanying them, as was custom.

Severa's mother had been forced to sell many of her heirlooms left from her family to be able to afford the cost of the supplies. Severa felt terrible; she hated seeing her proud mother reduced to this.

As they were with Muggles, they had caught the Knight Bus, and Mr. Evans had thrown up. Mrs. Evans, however, was thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Once they were in Diagon Alley, the Evanses goggled and marveled at everything. Patrick did too, but he tried to hide it. 

Lillian went into Madam Malkin's to get robes, whilst Severa had some old robes of her mother's to wear. Some of Severa's textbooks were used, and she had an awful collection of Potions ingredients, but nothing could bring her down. She was to go to Hogwarts with Lillian!

Eileen, despite having a somewhat backwards attitude towards Muggles, seemed to be getting on just fine with Mr. and Mrs. Evans. 

As Lillian got his wand, '10 1/4 inches, willow, swishy, good for charmwork,' Mr. Ollivander said, and Severa got hers, '13 1/2, ash, pliable, good for Healing and Potions,' Patrick watched with undisguised jealousy.

He was completely negative throughout the entire experience, but even he could not put a damper on the day.

Lillian ran up to the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop, and pressed his face to the glass like many other kids were. 

A girl with short, spiky, black hair, and round glasses tugged on her father's robes. 'Daddy? Daddy?' she begged. 'Pleeeeeease can I get a broom?'

Her father patted her head affectionately. 'Jamie dear, you can't play in your first year. Just wait until Christmas, then you'll see. I know you're going to be the best player on the team, just like your mother was, eh?'

Jamie grinned. 'Yes, I am!'

Severa looked at her in disgust. 'Evidently a Potter,' she sneered. 'Stupid Gryffindor.'

Lillian looked at Severa in surprise. 'What's wrong with Gryffindor?' he asked. 

Severa was not willing to enter this debate now. 'Nothing,' she muttered. 'It's just that Slytherin is better.'


	4. I Know What You Are

“Lillian, don’t do it!” Patrick yelled.

But Lillian had leapt off the swing as it swung up to the highest point, and flown into the air. He launched himself upwards with a great shout of laughter, and instead of thumping to the ground and injuring himself, he'd soared to the ground gracefully, like a leaf in the breeze. His long, red hair flew out behind him, rippling in the wind. He knew Patrick was jealous of his powers.

“Mummy told you not to!”

The blonde boy brought his swing to a halt by digging his sandals into the ground.

“Mummy said you weren’t allowed, Lillian!”

“But I’m fine,” said Lillian, still giggling. “Pat, look at this. Watch what I can do.”

Patrick's eyes swept the playground, to make sure they were alone. Lillian plucked a blossom from the ground. Patrick watched reluctantly, grudgingly curious. Lillian waited until Patrick was right beside him, and then closed and opened his palm. The flower opened and closed like a venus fly trap.

“Stop it!” shrieked Patrick shrilly.

“It’s not hurting you,” frowned Lillian, but he closed his hand on the blossom and threw it back to the ground.

“It’s not right,” said Patrick, but his eyes found the fallen blossom, and lingered on it. “How do you do it?” 

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” 

Lillian started as a shabby girl stepped out from behind the bush she'd taken the flower from. Her long black hair was dirty, she looked unkempt, and her clothes were odd and mismatched.

Patrick let out an exclamation of surprise, and ran away, but Lillian stayed where he was, staring at the girl.

“What’s obvious?” 

“I know what you are.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re…you’re a wizard.” 

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to somebody!”

Lillian felt deeply offended, and strutted back towards his brother. He knew he was odd, but he certainly wasn't a wizard. The sheer cheek of it!

“No!” exclaimed the girl desperately.

Both brothers regarded him uneasily, holding onto the swing posts. 

“You are. You are a wizard. I’ve been watching you for a while. But there’s nothing wrong with that. My mum’s a witch, and I’m one, too.”

Patrick chucked nastily. “Witch! I know who you are. You’re that Snape girl! They live down Spinner’s End by the river,” he said, his tone making it clear that he did not approve of this address. “Why have you been spying on us?”

“Haven’t been spying,” she replied, hot and uncomfortable and dirty-haired in the bright sunlight. “Wouldn’t spy on you, anyway,” she added spitefully, “you’re a Muggle.”

Patrick did not know what Severa was saying to him, but the tone she used with him made the gist of what she was saying clear. Lillian felt offended on his behalf.

“Lillian, come on, we’re leaving!” Lillian followed at once, shooting Severa a dirty look.

Lillian dashed after his older brother, who was running from the park angrily. 

'Patrick!' he called. 'Patrick -- wait!'

Patrick wheeled around to face him angrily. His fists were clenched, and there were tears in his eyes. 'Freak!' he hissed viciously. 

Lillian recoiled, the word cutting into him like a knife. His green eyes sparked with anger. 'And I suppose you think you're so much better than me, with your boring self and life!'

Patrick's nostrils flared, and he looked like he was going to give a scathing reply, but instead he just ran off in the direction of the house, leaving Lillian by himself near the park.

That night, Patrick and Lillian did not speak at all. Their parents merely thought they had had a small spat, and sent them off to their shared room early to allow them a chance to make up. Both boys got ready for bed in silence, and both climbed into bed, each facing the opposite wall.

The next day he and Patrick were still not talking. This continued for some time. 

Lillian grew more and more curious about what the girl from Spinner's End had said. He returned to the park a few days later, and to his surprise, she was there. 

They spoke a little, and surprisingly, Lillian found that he liked her. He invited her over for dinner. His parents loved her. 

Severa showed him all sorts of new places, and told him all about the Wizarding World. Lillian could not wait to go the school of magic, Hogwarts.

Soon, they were the best of friends. Patrick became even more resentful of the two of them, but Lillian did not care. He knew Patrick was jealous, especially when they caught Patrick eavesdropping, and discovered his letter written to Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.

Patrick slouched to his seat at the dinner table unwillingly. He slumped into his seat, and stared at his plate, his nostrils flared. 

He did not say a word to his father as Mr. Evans filled everyone's plates with the delicious roast chicken he and his wife had made. 

'There you go,' said Mr. Evans cheerily to Severa as he gave her her food.

Severa offered him a tentative and grateful smile, trying to hide her hunger as her mouth watered. She hadn't eaten properly for days, her mother not being able to afford anything other than the meagre vegetables that grew in their unkempt garden.

Patrick didn't know what that smelly bag of rubbish was doing here. After spying on then at the park, and insulting Patrick, it seemed as if the Snape girl had placed his younger brother under a spell.

Patrick wrinkled his nose with disgust as he took in her shabby, mismatched clothes. 

Mrs. Evans passed around the salad, which Patrick refused. Severa and Lillian talked cheerfully as they ate, but Patrick scoffed down his meal as quickly as possible, and ran to the room he and Lillian shared, without even washing his dish.

He stared out of the window, his eyes burning again, as he stared at the letter in his hands. He had written to Dumbledore to ask for a place at Hogwarts, and he had been refused. Politely refused, as he had expected. But he had to give it a try. It wasn't fair that Lillian had magic, and he didn't.

He knew he shouldn't resent his brother for it, but he did. And he hated that Snape girl, for stealing away his brother.

As the months progressed, the friendship between Severa and Lillian only grew stronger and stronger, and Patrick only grew further and further away. 

Curious about the Wizarding World, Patrick longed to ask Lillian, but his pride would not allow it. He took to eavesdropping. When he was caught, and injured by the Snape girl, he and Lillian momentarily grew closer, until Lillian and Severa inevitably made up, and then Patrick was pushed to the side again.

The next several months flew past, until it was time for Lillian and Severa to go to Hogwarts. Patrick didn't want to go, as that would show weakness, but his curiosity eventually won out.

“…I’m sorry, Pat, I’m sorry! Listen – ” oblivious to their parents, Patrick was giving Lillian the silent treatment. They stood a little way off, with Severa and her mother nearby. Patrick pulled his hand from Lillian's. “Maybe once I’m there – no, listen, Pat! Maybe once I’m there, I’ll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!”

“I don’t – want – to – go! You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a – a…”

Patrick's pale eyes took in the crazy scene before him. “ – you think I want to be a – a freak?”

Lillian's eyes filled with tears.

“I’m not a freak,” he spat defensively. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”

“That’s where you’re going,” said Patrick, with relish, sensing a sore spot on his brother. “A special school for freaks. You and that Snape girl…weirdos, that’s what you two are. It’s good you’re being separated from normal people. It’s for our safety.”

Patrick seemed to be reassuring himself as much as his brother.

Lillian glanced toward his parents, who were looking around the platform with an air of wholehearted enjoyment, drinking in the scene. Then he looked back at his brother, his voice low and savage.

“You didn’t think it was such a freak’s school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you.”

Patrick stared at his brother like a deer caught in the headlights. Usually sweet Lillian had never said anything like that before.

“Beg? I didn’t beg!”

“I saw his reply. It was very kind.”

“You shouldn’t have read – ” hissed Patrick, “that was my private – how could you – ?”

Lillian tried not to be obvious, but his eyes drifted off to where Severa was standing.

“That girl found it! You and that girl have been sneaking in my room!”

“No – not sneaking – ” Lillian argued defensively. “Severa saw the envelope, and she couldn’t believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that’s all! She says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of – ”

“Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!” exclaimed Patrick. “Freak!” he spat at his brother, stalking back off to his parents, begging them to leave.

Lillian and Severa hauled their bags onto the train with the help of the Prefects, after hugging their families goodbye, and by eleven, they were safely on the train, waiting for the Hogwarts Express to depart for their first year at Hogwarts.

As the train whistled, and slowly began to move, Severa looked at her mother, who had a rare smile upon her face, and Lillian looked at his parents and brother. 

Mrs. and Mr. Evans smiled widely, waving at Lillian as the train departed, but Patrick stood watching, arms crossed. The face he was making made him look as though he were sucking an extra sour lemon.

After the train had been moving for some time, Severa went to the loos, then cane back promptly.

She bustled down the train, back to the carriage she and Lillian had been sitting. She had changed from her dreadful Muggle clothing into her more acceptable, if not just as shabby, Hogwarts robes. A bunch of noisy girls had taken over the carriage. Hunched in a corner seat beside the window was Lilliam, his face pressed against the windowpane.

Severa opened the door to the compartment, and slid in the seat next to Lillian. Lillian looked away from the window, then looked back as he saw it was just Severa.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” he said

“Why not?”

“Pat h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore.”

“So what?”

Lillian's hot green eyes threw her nasty look of disdain.

“So he’s my brother!”

“He’s only a – ” Severa nearly said Muggle, but she realised that Lillian would find it offensive. She had to remember that Lillian's family were all Muggles.

“But we’re going!” she said, changing the topic skilfully, exhiliration filling her voice. “This is it! We’re off to Hogwarts!”

Lillian smudged his fingertips under his eyes, and nodded, half-smiling.

“You’d better be in Slytherin,” Snape added, hoping to boost his morale.

“Slytherin?”

One of the girls in the compartment who'd shown no interest whatsoever in then suddenly turned to them. She was slight and black-haired like Severa, but her hair was far messier, and yet cleaner. She looked well kept, and adored, unlike Severa.

“Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?” the girl asked the other girl lounging on the seats opposite. Severa recognised her as Sirius Black, the heiress to the Black estate and fortune. 

“My whole family have been in Slytherin,” she said, her mouth a straight line.

“Blimey,” said the first girl, “and I thought you seemed all right!”

Sirius grinned.

“Maybe I’ll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you’ve got the choice?”

The messy haired girl lifted an invisible sword.

“‘Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!’ Like my dad.”

Severa snorted quietly, full of disdain for these two rowdy girls.

“Got a problem with that?” the girl asked aggressively.

“No,” muttered Severa, although her expression betrayed her. “If you’d rather be brawny than brainy – ”

“Where’re you hoping to go, seeing as you’re neither?” interjected Sirius.

Both girls roared with laughter, high-fiving each other.

Lillian looked at them in disgust. “Come on, Severa, let’s find another compartment.”

“Oooooo…”

Sirius and the other girl imitated Lillian's regal tones, and the messy haired one tried to trip up Severa.

“See ya, Snivella!” a voice called, as the compartment door slammed…


	5. The Hogwarts Express

It was six years since her bite, a long, difficult six years later, on a crisp September morning that Remus Lupin pushed her trolley along the nineth platform of King's Cross Station. On her trolley was a battered case, containing all her second hand textbooks and robes, and all her other meagre belongings. She had no owl, for her parents could not afford such a luxury.

Lyall Lupin and Hope Howell followed closely behind, their shabby clothes reflecting the state of their finances. After 'the incident', as the members of the household had taken to calling it, Lyall had been forced to retire from his high ranking job at the Ministry, and all his dreams and aspirations were gone. He couldn't very well support an anti-werewolf legislation when his own daughter was a werewolf!

Despite this, there were sad smiles on the faces of all three, as they prepared to run through the barrier to get to the magical platform 9 3/4, where Remus would catch the train to Hogwarts at 11 o'clock on the dot.

Remus still couldn't believe that Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, defeater of the dark wizard Grindelwald, and the only man You-Know-Who had ever feared, had sent her her Hogwarts acceptance letter on her birthday. 

She'd been in tears, all day, feeling miserable that she would never have a future, and would always be stuck at home, suffering through painful transformations that only grew worse and worse as she aged, and would perhaps die of her condition. Already, at the age of eleven, she had plenty of scars, including the original bite.

Lyall had been reluctant to send her at first, wary for the other students' safety, and worried that they would discover Remus's secret, but Albus Dumbledore had cleared all the details with her parents. 

Every night of the full moon, Remus was to enter a passage in the Whomping Willow, a ferocious tree that moved if its own accord until you struck a hidden knob on its trunk. There, a secret passage would lead to the Shrieking Shack, a small hut that was rumoured to be haunted, which would cover for the sounds of the transformation, and the howls of the wolf.

Remus clutched her hands hard around the handle of her trolley, and ran at the barrier at top speed with narrowed eyes. 

Remus squeezed her eyes tightly shut at the last moment, and stood on the platform, her eyes still closed, until she felt her mother tap her on the shoulder, laughing. Remus laughed too, feeling rather stupid.

There were about ten minutes left until the train departed, and Remus resolved to spend them with her parents, saying her goodbyes.

Along the platform, there were many other wizards and witches, giving tearful farewells to their children. Some were not so tranquil, though.

A tall, red-headed boy was arguing with a blonde haired, skinny boy with a long neck. A skinny girl with greasy hair and hunched shoulders watched from nearby. A woman who greatly resembled her was standing beside her.

'...I'm sorry, Patrick, I'm sorry, listen-' The red haired boy grabbed the thinner boy's arm, presumably his brother. Their parents stood a little way off, both Muggles, happily enjoying the platform. 

'Maybe once I'm there - no, listen, Pat! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and change his mind!'

Patrick stared at him, his gaze full of loathing. He dragged his hand out of his brother's. I don't - want - to - go! You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a - a - you think I want to be a - a freak?' His eyes wandered over the platform filled with trolleys, cats and owls.

'I'm not a freak. That's a horrible thing to say,' Patrick's brother returned, as tears filled his eyes.

'That's where you're going. A special school for freaks. You and that Snape girl... weirdos, that's what you two are. It's good you're being seperated from normal people. It's for our safety.'

Remus read the name on the other boy's trunk. It said 'Lillian Evans' in big, block letters. It was most commonly a girl's name in the English language, but it was a French boy's name.

Lillian looked at his brother fiercely. 'You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the Headmaster and begged him to take you.'

Patrick turned scarlet. 'Beg? I didn't beg!'

'I saw his reply. It was very kind.'

'You shouldn't have read - that was my private - how could you-?'

Lillian tore himself away, glancing at Severa. Patrick growled. 'That girl found it! You and that girl have been sneaking inside my room!'

'No - not sneaking - Severa saw the envelope, and she couldn't believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all! She says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of-'

'Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere! Freak!' 

As much as Remus disliked Patrick, she felt a pang of pity for him. She understood what it was like to want to go to Hogwarts, and believe that you would never get in. She was surprised Dumbledore had turned Patrick down, and accepted her. Surely it would be better to have a Muggle at Hogwarts rather than a werewolf.

Remus turned her attention back to her parents. 'I love you, Mummy, I love you, Daddy,' she said, hugging each tightly. The train was beginning to puff out smoke. 'I'd better get my bag on. Write me!'

'Everyday!' promised Lyall, wiping his tears away with a handkerchief. Hope rested her head on his shoulder, watching Remus go. 

'I hope she'll be alright.'

Lyall sighed heavily. 'Me too.'

Down the platform, Remus wheeled her trolley about uncertainly, unsure what to do with it. A small, plump girl with mousy brown hair stopped her. 'You alright there?' she asked kindly. 'I'm Petra, by the way.'

Remus sighed with relief internally. 'Thanks, I'm not quite sure what to do with my bags.'

A girl in red robes, wearing a Prefect badge cane strolling down the platform. 'Need help with your bags?' she asked, smiling. 'I'm Olivia Barnsworth, by the way. Gryffindor Prefect.'

Remus nodded anxiously. The girl hauled Remus's small bag, and dragged it to a luggage compartment nearby, taking Petra's numerous bags as well. 'Is that it?' she said, frowning at Remus. Remus nodded, abashed.

The girl quickly shooed the two of them onto the train, helping out more first years. Petra and Remus quickly seized an empty compartment, and watched the other new Hogwartians, both grateful to have found a friend. Amongst the new first years were Severa and Lillian, who were watched enviously by Patrick, another, a tall girl with messy jet black hair, and round glasses, who was fussed over by her parents, a few more, and a family, dressed in traditional wizard robes, not even bothering to try to fit in with the Muggles. 

'You'll be sorted into Slytherin if you know what's good for you, Sirius Black!' shrieked a tall woman, with a thin, sour face, presumably Sirius's mother. She might have good looking if it weren't for her expression, and the hardness of her eyes. 

By her side were a cowering house elf, her younger daughter, and her scowling husband, looking ridiculously out of place in his expensive, black robes. The other families parted instinctively for them, as if they were dangerous. A few muttered things under their breaths. Remus had heard of the Black family. This had to be Walburga and Orion Black, two rumoured Death Eaters. And if they weren't, then they were most certainly supporting the cause of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Surprisingly, though, Sirius flicked her long, flowing black hair over her shoulder. We'll see, mother!' she called back defiantly, as she scampered onto the train, and darted into a nearby compartment to her mother's horror. It was where Severa, Lillian, and James were seated. Already, Remus was a lone wolf. No pun intended.

As the students from the other years climbed aboard, Remus turned to Petra, and made idle conversation. 'Looking forward to your first year at Hogwarts?' 

Petra nodded glumly. 'I'm not much good at lessons, though.'

Remus blew her off. 'I'm sure you'll do fine. Besides, it is the greatest school of Witchcraft and Wizardry ever,' she smiled. Even with her poor grades, Petra was more likely to have a career than Remus.

The train began to move, and Remus waved frantically at the disappearing forms of Hope and Lyall. Petra did the same to her parents.

The two girls spent a hour or so in companiable silence, Petra reading her comic, or dozing off, and Remus attempting to learn everything before she got there, when they were alerted to a disturbance in the carriage opposite. It seemed that Sirius, and Jamie (Remus thought that was her name) had both become fast friends.

'You'd best be in Slytherin,' said Snape brightly to Lillian, who had been staring out of the window, upset over the row he'd had with his brother.

Jamie looked up, after having taken no interest whatsoever in Severa and Lillian. 'Slytherin? Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?' She directed the question at Sirius, who was lounging on the seats.

'My whole family have been in Slytherin,' she said, unsmilingly.

'Blimey,' said Jamie, 'and I thought you seemed all right!'

Sirius grinned. 'Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?'

Jamie lifted an invisible sword.  
'"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!" Like my dad.'

Severa made a rude snort.

Jamie turned on her. 'Got a problem with that?'

Severa sneered. 'No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-'

'Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?' jeered Sirius.

Jamie roared with laughter.

Lillian rolled his eyes, tired of the bickering. 'Come on, Severa, let's find another compartment.'

'Oooooo...' Jamie and Sirius mocked his lofty voice.

Jamie stuck out her foot as Severa passed. 'See ya, Snivella!' Severa shot him a dirty look.

Lillian stuck his nose in the air, and stalked off, Severa at his heels.

Raucous laughter sounded from where Sirius and Jamie were seated. Remus saw then high-five each other through the glass, then return to talking about Quidditch and ideas for pranks and inter-house rivalries and what they would like to do when they were older.

As Sirius continued to talk to Jamie, her mind drifted off to the events of the prior evening...

All her life, Sirius had been impressed with pureblood values, and had been taught that Muggles were filth, and were beneath them in every way. Her parents were not Death Eaters themselves, but supported the Dark Lord's cause, and donated towards it from the massive Black fortune.

Before her tenth birthday, Sirius had been the joy and pride of her parents eyes. She was the rightful heir to the Black estate and fortune, and she was the perfect pureblood in every way. But then she had started to question their morals. Why were the Muggles beneath them? How did magic set them so far apart from wizards and witches; why was their blood so dirty when, when it was spilt, it was the very same, thick, pungent, red fluid flowing forth? 

Sirius had grasped this idea fairly quickly, considering her young age, with help from Uncle Alphard, and, of course, Cousin Andromeda, but her younger sister Regulus had not, being one of life's followers. And then, she'd met Matthew, of course. Their friendship had lasted a couple months, ending only when Regulus had told on Sirius, spotting her leaving the house. And then, of course, her mother had tortured Matthew.

Walburga, despite giving out harsh punishments, had rarely raised a hand to Sirius, and if Sirius was truly honest with herself, the bruises she had been given had hurt less than how it had felt inside. 

It was for this reason that she had been threatened by Orion Black at the dinner table last night, and it was for all of these reasons and beyond that she was so determined to not be sorted into Slytherin. Before, she hadn't really cared which other house it was, as long is it was not the house of the Snake, but after meeting Jamie Potter, she had decided that she would try to make Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. It sounded better than Hufflepuff at any rate.

The black and wild haired bespectacled girl, who was obsessed with Quidditch and pranks, whose whole family had been in Gryffindor for centuries, had made Sirius realise that she could be friends with her. And also, Sirius definitely didn't want to be in the same house as Snivella Snape. No, that wouldn't do. She continued chatting with Jamie, fearing what her parents would have to say about her befriending a Potter, whilst Remus watched enviously at how 'easy' the friendship came for them.


	6. Who Are You Calling a Wanker?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sorting Hat's Song is of my own creation, so please do not copy it, hope you're all enjoying this so far, I have about 80 chapters waiting to be posted :)

The journey to Hogwarts had been a long one, and Remus had enjoyed it thoroughly. The long ride from London to the windy moors of Scotland had been filled with beautiful scenery. They had passed meadows full of golden flowers, and forests full of red and gold leaves bathed in the glowy golden light of the September afternoon.

The Hogwarts Express drove over bridges across shimmering reservoirs, past fields full of horses and cows and sheep, and finally, as night was drawing near, they drove past the barren and yet beautiful moor. The sweet scent of the heather drifted in through the opened windows, as well as the fresh smell of wet, clean earth and grass after a rain that Remus loved so much. She lifted her nose and inhaled.

As much as she was looking forward to being Sorted into her new house who would be like her family for the next seven years, if she managed those years, of course, she was sorry to see the train come to a halt at a station in 'Hogsmeade'. Remus had read about that. It was the only entirely magic settlement in all of Britain. She said as much to Petra, who stared at her in awe, and returned to gaping around like a beached whale.

A giant, hairy man who introduced himself as Hagrid proceeded to usher the first years to the Black Lake, where they would receive the customary boat ride across the lake. The other years were shooed off to carts that were seemingly driven by invisible horses. 'Firs' years!' bellowed Hagrid. 'Firs' years over here!'

Remus watched Severa and Lillian cautiously climb into a boat, both squealing as the boat rocked and splashed both of them. Sirius and Jamie were still messing about, splashing each other as well as Severa and Lillian. 'We're a boat to catch a wild ride!' Sirius joked lamely.

Jamie snorted and shoved her over to a boat, and climbed in. 'Come on, you great wanker,' she sniggered.

Sirius rolled her eyes, before climbing in. 'Who are you calling a wanker?'

Lillian rolled his eyes, and finally climbed in, steadying the boat for Severa. The other first years got in as well.

Remus hopped in with Petra, and trailed her hand in the cool water. Petra looked worried. 'You ought to be careful, you know. There's supposed to be a massive squid in there.'

'I know,' said Remus mildly. 'But it's only supposed to come near us if we fall in. Best not to rock the boat,' she added to Petra, who was trying to get as far away from the sides as she could, making the boat bob up and down wildly as she did so.

'Bet you five chocolate frogs that one's in Ravenclaw,' Sirius said lowly. 

Jamie slapped her hand. 'You're on.'

The ride across the lake was mostly uneventful, except for when a girl called Franchesca Longbottom, or 'Frankie', as she preferred, fell in, and was tossed back up by the Great Squid. She seemed to think this was a great achievement, grinning at her boat mate, Alex Prewett. He smiled back and gave her a weak thumbs up.

Hagrid performed a Drying Charm on her with a large pink umbrella that Remus highly suspected wasn't supposed to be used for that purpose, but Hagrid seemed nice enough, so she said nothing. She thought about her parents briefly, with a pang. She missed them already.

They were led up to the castle, where they were greeted by a witch in around her mid thirties, with sharp green eyes, and an exceptionally tight black bun. She took them from Hagrid, who stomped off to the staff table to have a drink, and she led them to the Great Hall to be Sorted.

'Now,' she began, right before they entered. 'You will be Sorted into your houses, who will be like your family. Your gains are their gains, and your losses are their losses. Points will be awarded for good behaviour, and will be taken away for bad behaviour. To win the House Cup, you will need to win as many points as possible.'

Most of the children nodded solemnly but a few snickered quietly in the background. Professor McGonagall fixed them with a freezing stare and they shut up immediately.

She led them all into the Great Hall, which Remus took in with wonder. The high, arched ceiling was bewitched to look exactly like the windy and starry night outside. Students from all years and houses goggled at the new students, some placing bets and exchanging gold Galleons. 

Remus waited in a long line of first years patiently, as they all waited for the Sorting Hat to sing its song.

Its seams split wide at the brim, as it formed some sort of mouth, and it began to sing in a croaky voice:

'I'm here to sort you all  
But please, feel no dread  
I know exactly where to put you  
For I can see inside your head.

Of all the thousands I've sorted,  
Each has found where they belong  
I've never made a mistake before  
So listen to the Sorting Hat's song

Could you be in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the very brave?  
Could you meet the expectations  
Of that courageous old knave?

Maybe you belong in Ravenclaw   
Where gather the sharp of mind,  
Or perhaps you're suited to Hufflepuff  
Where most valued are the loyal and kind 

And then, of course, there's Slytherin,  
Of the ambitious and the sly  
Perhaps you've got the cunning,   
That'll help spread your wings and fly

No greater witches or wizards  
Were there, than the Hogwarts Four,  
Wise, cunning, kind, or brave,  
All went down in fame and lore

So sit down before me and take   
Your seat below with haste  
Rest me upon your head  
And I'll soon find your perfect place.'

The entire school, especially Professor Dumbledore broke out into loud applause. Remus caught his eye, and he smiled at her. She smiled back. Then, McGonagall called out the first name.

'Aubrey, Bertram!' He immediately took his place beneath the Sorting Hat, which contemplated over him for a minute, before calling out, 'RAVENCLAW!'

Remus had been sure he would be Sorted into Slytherin. He was not disappointed next time, though. 'Avery, Alador,' was put in Slytherin. She had heard rumours on the train that he and Mulciber had been kept back a year or two as they had continued to fail their exams, and do awfully in class. 

Remus had wanted to be Sorted into Gryffindor, but she had come to the conclusion that Hufflepuff would be the most accepting of her 'condition', if ever she was discovered.

'Bell, Rosemary,' was a Ravenclaw. 

Then, 'Black, Sirius!' was called up. Faces of all houses, especially Slytherin, watched intently. All had heard of the wayward Black heiress, but they still believed that she would make Slytherin. Sirius walked up nervously, and placed the hat on her head cautiously. She sat down, and began to move her lips in a silent conversation with the Hat. The Hall held its breath, teachers included. Sirius took a look at Jamie, who smiled at her and gave her an encouraging thumbs up. 

The Hat's voice sounded in Sirius's head. 'Well, well,' it croaked. 'Another Black for me to sort. The whole lot of you have been in Slytherin, haven't you?'

'I'm not like them,' Sirius told it boldly.

The Hat chuckled lowly by her ear. 'We'll see... We'll see... Not a bad mind, you've got qualities that would help you get along in both Gryffindor and Slytherin... Ambition and bravery there, too...'

Sirius squirmed in her seat. 'I'm no Slytherin,' she hissed. 'There's more to life than blood.'

The Hat chuckled again. Sirius found it infuriating, and the Hat knew it.

Sirius took a deep breath, and the hat yelled 'GRYFFINDOR!' 

McGonagall's face split into a grin so wide, Remus thought it might crack. There were whoops and cheers from the Gryffindor table, as well as gasps and boos from Slytherin. A pale, blonde boy wearing a Prefect badge held Sirius in a cold stare for several seconds, which Sirius returned in full force. Money was grudgingly passed between student's palms. Sirius walked over to the Gryffindor table dizzily, feeling elated, and slightly drunk. She couldn't find it in herself to worry about what Mother would think, although she knew she should. A tall girl with long, brown hair clapped Sirius on the back. 'Well done!'

'Bones, Edgar,' and 'Catchlove, Greta,' went to Hufflepuff right after.

Lillian walked up. Severa looked at him longingly, desperately wishing for her to be Sorted into Slytherin. Lillian wished for that too, oblivious of current attitudes towards Muggleborns in Slytherin House.

But the hat had no sooner touched his dark red hair than called out, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

Lillian stared at Severa for a moment, both their hearts breaking. Then he walked over to the Gryffindor table. Sirius scooted up along for him, but Lillian turned the other way when he saw her. Sirius grinned and began to tease him.

'Fenwick, Benjy,' went to Ravenclaw, 'Gudgeon, Davy,' went to Ravenclaw, 'Leanne Jackknife,' younger sister of the Quidditch sensation Jody Jackknife, former Slytherin Quidditch Captain, went into Slytherin as expected, 'Jones, Hestia,' went to Ravenclaw, 'Longbottom, Frankie,' went to Gryffindor, and 'Lovegood, Xenophilius,' went to Ravenclaw, until, at last, it was Remus's turn. 

She grasped the hat with shaking hands, and placed it upon her tawny hair. 'H-Hufflepuff, please,' she requested. 

The Hat laughed. 'No, no, no, I don't think that'd suit you very well. I can see into your head, you know.'

Panic poured through her veins as she thought about her Lycanthropy. What if someone heard? What if the Hat blurted it out to the entire Hall, and she was taken to the Ministry in chains?

The Hat reassured her. 'My job is to Sort you, and nothing else. I don't care about all that,' it said, referring to Remus's thoughts. 'All you've had to go through... So much suffering... And such bravery...'

Remus tensed, every muscle in her body ready for flight.

'Better be, GRYFFINDOR!'

Remus stumbled away to the amusement of the other houses, Slytherin in particular, as Gryffindor cheered. She took a seat opposite Lillian and Sirius. Sirius nodded at her, drinking in her appearance with great interest. 

Remus nodded back, and the two began a polite conversation about the next few years at Hogwarts they would all spend together, and lessons and whatnot. Remus knew she couldn't be proper friends with any of these people, lest they should, Merlin forbid, discover her secret, but she couldn't help but be taken in a little bit by this strange girl's mysterious and daring persona. It made her want to know more.

'McKinnon, Mason,' sat at the Gryffindor table with 'McDonald, Marius,' 'Meadowes, Dorcas,' went to Ravenclaw, 'Morris, Drew,' also, 'Mulciber, Montgomery,' predictably went to Slytherin. He joined the familiar table, laughing, as he was reunited with his mates.

'Pettigrew, Petra,' surprisingly enough was a Gryffindor, Remus was just glad to have her, 'Phelps, Patricia,' made Ravenclaw, 'Joanne Podmore,' Hufflepuff, 'Potter, Jamie,' Gryffindor, obviously, 'Potts, Pandora,' was a Hufflepuff, 'Prewett, Alex,' Gryffindor, 'Rosier, Evan,' and 'Selwyn, Moira,' were sent to Slytherin, as was 'Snape, Severa,' to Lillian's dismay, 'Shingleton, Gaspard,' was a Ravenclaw, 'Speke, Adrian,' made Huffepuff along with Thomas Stebbins.

Lucinda Talkalot went to Slytherin, with Dolores Umbridge, a toad-like, short, stubby girl, and Rupert Wilkes, and finally, Emmeline Vance, was Sorted into Ravenclaw House.

Sirius shoved several packets of something chocolatey into Jamie's lap as Jamie grinned at Remus triumphantly. Sirius merely regarded her curiously. Remus felt self conscious under their scrutiny. The two were both good looking, especially Sirius, and they were well cared for, as flawed a parent as Walburga Black may have been. Remus was not to be compared to them, with her skinny, scarred body, and her odd, tawny hair. She hid her face, pulling her pointed hat down low.

Sirius only looked away once Professor Dumbledore had given a small speech, and the food had started to materialise onto the silver platters on the tables. It was sent up by the House Elves in the kitchens below. Remus took a large helping of roast chicken, famished after the long and tiring day, grateful that it was only a stupid Muggle myth that werewolves couldn't come into contact with silver.

Chatter and laughter resonated loudly within the Great Hall, especially from Sirius Black and Jamie Potter. The two had shown none of the characteristic shyness of firsties, and had immediately taken to making conversation with all the new first years. Jamie stood up and did a particularly accurate impression of Professor Dumbledore giving out very different speeches than the ones he had actually given. Sirius laughed and joined in. 

Remus had joined in conversation a few times with them, and had been surprised by the fact that they seemed to genuinely like her and find her funny. They had also included Petra in, as she was friends with Remus, but Frankie, the fifth girl in their year, looked left out, and began to make fast friends with Mason McKinnon, Marius McDonald, Lillian, and Alex Prewett instead. Alex found her a little odd, but slightly endearing as well.

Remus learnt that Sirius and Jamie both planned to make the Quidditch team as soon as they were in Second Year, the youngest that they could be to join the team, that Sirius hated to be called 'Siri,' as Jamie had taken to calling her, as it was her sister's pet name for her, that Jamie's father had been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and her mother had been on the team of whichever house she had been in, Petra 'loved to eat', as she put it, and that Sirius hated being awakened any earlier than seven-thirty, half an hour before breakfast was finished serving in the Great Hall, and lessons began. 'I'm a fast changer,' reassured Sirius.

It was almost an hour later, after Dumbledore had given all the usual notices and warnings, including one about some new tree, that it was time to sing the school song. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled wickedly, as the other teacher's smiles became rather fixed.

'Everyone pick your favourite tune,' he cried, 'and let us begin!'

Remus covered her extra sensitive ears, as the school bellowed in disharmony:

'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something please,  
Whether we be old and bald  
Or young with scabby knees  
Our heads could do with filling  
With some interesting stuff  
For now they're bare and full of air,   
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,   
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains all rot.'

Dumbledore wrote the letters in the air with a huge multi-coloured ribbon.

True to his words, the students of Hogwarts each picked their own tune. Two red-headed twins were singing it in opera, and one of them got up on the table and started orchestrating the new first years. Sirius sang along, laughing crazily. 

When they were done, Dumbledore wiped his eyes, and sent them off. Olivia Barnsworth, and the other Gryffindor Prefect, the red-headed boy named Fabian Prewett led them all to their dormitories. 

Olivia led them all up several staircases, which all switched around. '142 of them,' said Olivia fondly. Fabian, however, it turned out, was not Fabian, as the other red headed boy, identical to him turned up, and also answered to 'Fabian'.

Olivia came to a halt outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. She looked at Fabian (or his twin, Gideon; it was impossible to tell) and glared at them. 

'You're a Prefect, now, I thought you would know better.'

'Yes, Olivia,' they both chorused. She threw them a despairing look, and announced the password, which was 'Godric.'

'Creative,' thought Remus dryly. She stepped inside, through the portrait hole, and was delighted by what she saw next.


	7. What the Sorting Hat Said

After leaving the compartment with the annoying girls in it, Severa and Lillian went to find their own compartment. The rest of the train journey went smoothly, only small talk and excited whispers filling the air.

When they arrived at the quaint little town of Hogsmeade, a large man called Hagrid herded all the first years to the Black Lake, where they would sail across the lake in small boats as was custom.

Severa and Lillian cautiously climbed into a boat, both squealing as the boat rocked and splashed both of them. Sirius and the messy haired girl were still messing about, splashing each other as well as Severa and Lillian. Lillian soon learned that her name was Jamie Potter. He hoped he wouldn't be sorted into the same house as her. She looked like a right handful who would lose Slytherin loads of points. He didn't know what to do if he wasn't sorted with Severa.

'We're a boat to catch a wild ride!' Sirius joked lamely as she tottered to the water's edge.

Jamie snorted and shoved her over to a boat, and climbed in. 'Come on, you great wanker,' she sniggered.

Sirius rolled her eyes, before climbing in. 'Who are you calling a wanker?'

Lillian rolled his eyes, and finally climbed in, steadying the boat for Severa, who wobbled in uneasily. The other first years got in as well.

Lillian watched as a skinny, ill looking girl hopped in with a rather plump girl, and trailed her hand in the cool water. The plump, mousy girl looked worried. 'You ought to be careful, you know. There's supposed to be a massive squid in there.'

'I know,' said the other girl mildly. 'But it's only supposed to come near us if we fall in. Best not to rock the boat,' she added knowledgeably to her co-sailor, who was trying to get as far away from the sides as she could, making the boat bob up and down wildly as she did so.

Lillian heard Jamie and Sirius make a bet on the thin girl. She was even skinnier than Severa. 

Hagrid waved a large, pink umbrella at the ropes tying the boats to the dock, and they immediately fell away. With another flick of Hagrid's umbrella, the boats were soon moving quickly across the great expanse of dark water. 

Jamie clutched her hand to her stomach. 'I think I might be sick,' she groaned. She looked a bit green. 

Sirius scoffed. 'Well, if you're going to be such a famous Quidditch player like you keep saying, don't you think you'd better get used to a little rocking?'

Jamie sniffed. 'I am excellent at Quidditch, thank you. Brooms don't bother me. I've been flying since I was six. It's just boats I don't like.'

'I wouldn't worry about that anyway,' added Lillian. 'First years can't play. It says so, in the rulebook.'

Jamie turned to him. 'There's a rulebook?'

'That you bothered to read?' Sirius asked scornfully.

Lillian pursed his lips. 'This is my first proper entry to the Wizarding World, apart from when I went to Diagon Alley to pick up my school things with Sev. I don't fancy getting kicked out in my First Year.'

'Kicked out?' asked Jamie.

'Sev?' asked Sirius, with a sneer in her voice.

Lillian flushed. 'Well, it could happen. And I don't want to risk it. And yes, Sev,' he said, with a fierce glare in Sirius's direction.

'Alright, Sev?' Sirius jeered. Severa shot her a baleful look from under her greasy hair, and hunched in her seat.

'Oh, stop it,' said Lillian crossly. 'It's our first day and we haven't even gone in the castle yet.'

Sirius opened her mouth to retort, but Jamie nudged her foot and gave her a warning look.

They were led up to the castle, where they were greeted by a witch in around her mid thirties, with sharp green eyes, and an exceptionally tight black bun. She took them from Hagrid, who stomped off to the staff table to have a drink, and she led them to the Great Hall to be Sorted.

'Now,' she began, right before they entered. 'You will be Sorted into your houses, who will be like your family. Your gains are their gains, and your losses are their losses. Points will be awarded for good behaviour, and will be taken away for bad behaviour. To win the House Cup, you will need to win as many points as possible.'

Most of the children nodded solemnly but a few snickered quietly in the background. Professor McGonagall fixed them with a freezing stare and they shut up immediately.

She led them all into the Great Hall, which Lillian gazed at with awe. He'd heard about it from Severa, or course, but nothing could prepare him for this. The high, arched ceiling was bewitched to look exactly like the windy and starry night outside. Students from all years and houses goggled at the new students, some placing bets and exchanging gold Galleons. 

Lillian waited in a long line of first years patiently, as they all waited for the Sorting Hat to sing its song.

Its seams split wide at the brim, as it formed some sort of mouth, and it began to sing in a croaky voice:

'I'm here to sort you all  
But please, feel no dread  
I know exactly where to put you  
For I can see inside your head.

Of all the thousands I've sorted,  
Each has found where they belong  
I've never made a mistake before  
So listen to the Sorting Hat's song

Could you be in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the very brave?  
Could you meet the expectations  
Of that courageous old knave?

Maybe you belong in Ravenclaw   
Where gather the sharp of mind,  
Or perhaps you're suited to Hufflepuff  
Where most valued are the loyal and kind 

And then, of course, there's Slytherin,  
Of the ambitious and the sly  
Perhaps you've got the cunning,   
That'll help spread your wings and fly

No greater witches or wizards  
Were there, than the Hogwarts Four,  
Wise, cunning, kind, or brave,  
All went down in fame and lore

So sit down before me and take   
Your seat below with haste  
Rest me upon your head  
And I'll soon find your perfect place.'

The entire school, especially Professor Dumbledore broke out into loud applause.

As the applause slowly died out, the Sorting Hat began to place the students into their correct houses, as Professor McGonagall called out the names in alphabetical order.

Sirius was Sorted into Gryffindor surprisingly. Lillian was glad she wasn't going to be a Gryffindor with her. She was determined to be in Slytherin, no matter what the Hat said. A few more students were sorted, then Professor McGonagall called, "Evans, Lillian!"

He walked up with shaky legs, and sat down upon the rickety stool. He smiled tightly at Severa as she gave him an encouraging smile. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto his head, and barely a second after it had touched the dark red hair, the hat cried, "Gryffindor!"

Lillian's mouth dropped open with shock. He hadn't even had a chance to argue his case. He stumbled, shell-shocked, to the Gryffindor table, where he was met with cheers. He offered Severa a sad little smile before turning away.

'Cheer up, mate,' a cheery voice sounded in his ear. He looked up dolefully to see the grinning face of Sirius Black. 'You've only been sorted into Gryffindor, the greatest house. I thought you might be a Weasley before the Professor called your name. It's the hair, you see.'

Lillian groaned and ignored her, turning away. He didn't know what a Weasley was, and he couldn't bring himself to meet Severa's eye again, afraid of what he might see there, although he felt her eyes upon his back.

Severa watched with greedy anticipation as Lillian stumbled forward to take his place under the hat, and soon with her in Slytherin, the greatest house.

It didn't matter that he was Muggle-born, soon the other Slytherins would see that he was different, and not at all like other Muggleborns. Lillian was more magic than them. He just had to prove it to the others, and soon they'd get over themselves and come around.

No sooner had McGonagall dropped the hat onto Lillian's head, it shouted, 'Gryffindor!' 

Lillian took off the hat, handed it back to Professor McGonagall, then hurried toward the cheering Gryffindors, but as he went he glanced back at Snape, and there was a sad little smile on his face. Sirius moved up the bench to make room for him. Severa sneered at her. Soon her rebellion would be crushed by the infamous Blacks.

Lillian took one look at her, seemed to recognize her from the train, folded his arms, and firmly turned his back on her.

The roll call continued. Lupin, Pettigrew, and his Potter joined Lillian and Sirius at the Gryffindor table. At last, when only a few students remained to be sorted, Professor McGonagall called Snape.

Severa ran up to the stool, and placed the hat upon her head before anyone else could do it. She temporarily considered asking to be in Gryffindor with Lillian, even if she had to endure the wrath of her mother, and the harassment from Potter and Black, but she did not get a chance.

"Slytherin!" cried the Sorting Hat.

And Severa Snape moved off to the other side of the Hall, away from Lillian to where the Slytherins were cheering her. Lucius Malfoy, a prefect badge gleaming upon his chest, patted Severa on the back as she sat down beside him.

He nodded courteously at her, despite her status as a poor, lowly, half-blood. She had never felt more inadequate as she sat at the table full of rich Purebloods than she had ever felt in her life.

A pale, aristocratic boy named Evan Rosier sneered down the end of his long nose at Severa and her shabby robes. She tried to sink underneath the table, but couldn't.

When the rest of the students were Sorted, Dumbledore gave a short speech which none of the Slytherins felt like listening to. Most of them regarded Dumbledore as an annoying old kook, who was past his prime.

Delicious food materialised on the silver plates. There was a rush as the ravenous students hurried to full up their plates with the lavish food supplied at the every beginning of term feast. 

Severa viciously elbowed a squat, toad-like girl aside, as she raced to get food. Unlike most of these students, Severa had not only gone without food on the train journey, she hadn't eaten that morning, or the night before.

Tobias had decided to make a row about Severa going off to Hogwarts, and had argued about the fees, and then Eileen had remembered that she had sold her personal items to pay for Severa's school items, and so Severa had been forgotten entirely...

Now, the entire table stared at her in wonderment and disgust as she wolfed down a bun, and shovelled turkey into her mouth. 

The toad-like girl, Dolores Umbridge, regarded Snape with a mixture of curiosity and disgust.

'Merlin, don't you have any manners?' she asked. 'Haven't you ever seen food before in your life?'

Evan Rosier sneered. 'I don't think she has. Look at the state of her robes.'

He picked up the edge of her tattered robes, and held it between his thumb and forefinger gingerly.

Lucius Malfoy shot him a freezing stare, but he also looked repulsed by her manners. He also kept glancing over at the Gryffindor table, and fixing Sirius Black with a cold, baleful glare. Mulciber, Avery, and Rosier all followed suit. 

The rest of the feast went by with Severa's house mates ignoring her, then they sang the school song, which was abysmal by all standards, until it was time for the Prefects to lead the students to their dorms.

The Headgirl was Andromeda Black, who genuinely seemed to be a nice person, but the other Slytherins disliked her deeply, and looked down on her, whispering things like, 'Muggle lover,' and 'Blood Traitor,' when she walked past.

This was because she was dating a Muggleborn from Ravenclaw. Severa wondered how the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was taking this, and how they were taking the newest rebellion in Gryffindor.

The Gryffindors filed out first, and Lillian looked back at Severa for the first time since the Sorting. Severa offered her a wistful smile, and turned away, finding it painful to even look at him. This wasn't how it was meant to go.

Narcissa Black and Lucius were the Prefects on duty, so they led the Slytherins out of the Hall, and down several staircases, until they were in the dungeons. The other Slytherins chattered and made friends as they walked, but Severa was left on her own with just her thoughts for company. 

Lucius and Narcissa led them down several long, winding corridors, until they came to a set of cellar doors. Narcissa swung them open, and waited until all the Slytherins had filtered in, before whispering a password to the wall on the left. 

It was 'Basilisk'. Severa laughed. It was sort of typical, in the house of the snake. A few students eyed her oddly.

As she entered the Slytherin Common, Severa gaped in awe. It was a large, spacious room, made of roughly hewn rock, lit by green lamps, and a roaring fire. There were cosy couches and sofas dotted around. Instead of a ceiling, there was a glass dome looking up into the Black Lake. The Great Squid floated past, and waved its tentacles at them. Several children giggled.

Narcissa guided the girls to their dormitory, and Lucius took the boys. Severa glanced around at her dorm-mates. So far, things were not going too good. She had two Quidditch fanatics, one of which would not stop talking about her sister in the Holyhead Harpies, one who would not talk to anyone, and a grumpy old toadhead.

They dormitory was the third one up, and it was decent enough. The beds were covered in green blankets, and there were silver drapes around the beds. Severa's bag was there, probably brought in by the House Elves. She thumped down on her bed with a sigh and began to unpack. 

Already, she could hear Dolores chattering away with the other girls, and spreading rumours about her. She sighed. It was going to be a long term.


	8. Just Quidditch

Remus shoved her way into the portrait hole, past the Prefects and other first years. She stared around at the large common room in wonder. The main colour of the walls and upholstery was red, there was a roaring fire in the fireplace, lion posters all over the walls, cushy sofas and armchairs, and best of all, a large bookcase by a window seat looking out onto the grounds. Rain lashed against the glass, making the Common Room seem cosier by comparison. She headed straight for the books and plunged into a particularly thick one on Transfiguration.

Olivia, Fabian, Gideon, and the other first years looked at her in awe. Sirius sniggered. 'Oi, bookworm!' she called. 'I'm tired as Merlin, so come on, hurry up and let's see the dorms! You can do that later.'

Remus sighed and reluctantly set the book down, promising silently to return to it later. She jumped a little as Sirius called her again. 

Olivia led the five girls over to a set of stairs, and Fabian and Gideon took the three boys over to another. 'Now,' Olivia said. 'These are the girl's dormitories, and those are the boy's dorms. Should any boy attempt to climb up to the girl's dormitories, well -' 

She paused as Fabian shoved forth Mason McKinnon. Go on, try,' he whispered wickedly to Mason. Olivia looked at Fabian and sighed, shaking her head.

Mason swallowed nervously, looking at Olivia, who said nothing, looking resigned, as Mason began to ascend the stairs. He had almost reached the top, when, the stairs folded and formed a slide, causing him to fall back violently, shrieking madly as he went. The first years all laughed, as he stood up, looking thoroughly disshevelled. Lillian dusted him off. 

'And that's what happens when a boy attempts to enter the Girl's dormitories without permission,' said Olivia wearily. 'You do this every year,' she snapped at Fabian, who grinned.

Fabian led the boys up to their dormitory, and Olivia took the girls. She walked up several flights of stairs, until the very top of the tower, where there was a clean, bright, little room, with five beds done neatly by the House Elves, presumably. Remus cast an eye over her roommates. The room wouldn't be clean for much longer. Already she could see mischief swirling in Sirius and Jamie's eyes. Petra was slovenly, and Frankie didn't look like she was very organised either. 

'There's your baggage,' said Olivia cheerfully, pointing to their cases underneath their beds. Remus was grateful to see that her bed was by a window. Sirius was next to her, and Petra was on her other side. 

'I'll leave you to it, just be in bed before ten.' Olivia left the room, hurrying to her own dormitory.

Remus sat down heavily on her bed, and rubbed her tired feet. Her joints were sore; the full moon was only four days away. Then she would have to leave the comfort of Gryffindor tower, and rough it in the Shrieking Shack, turning into a hideous monster beneath the moon, ripping her own skin open.

The other girls had begun to unpack their belongings. Sirius and Jamie threw socks at each other, until there were no more left. Sirius crawled about the room, looking for her socks. 

'Bloody hell!' she complained loudly. 'Those were all the socks I had left for this term. Jamie, help me.'

Jamie looked about, but couldn't find any more. Sirius had managed to salvage about three pairs of her socks, but that wasn't nearly enough to get through the term. 

Remus looked over, after folding her socks neatly and placing them in the top drawer of her chest of drawers. 'Accio socks,' she said quietly, using magic that was at O.W.L. level or higher. She had practically memorised her spell books, as well as the additional books she'd got from the second hand bookstore. 

The socks flew neatly into her outstretched arms from all corners of the room, and Sirius stared at her in awe. 'Merlin's beard,' she murmured. Remus smiled at her and wordlessly dropped them off onto Sirius's bed. 

Once all the girls had finished unpacking, they all began to chat and get to know each other. Frankie and Remus, however, both sat down to write home: Remus, to check in, and Frankie because she had forgotten several essential school items, such as her Potions textbook, her quills, her cauldron, and her scales. 

After Remus had finished her letter (it was a long one, telling her parents every last detail of the Hogwarts Express, and Gryffindor, and how cool everything was) she sat on the edge of her bed, and joined in the conversation. 

'Are any of you going to try out for the team, then?' asked Jamie, chewing on a Licorice Wand as she paged through her Quidditch magazine. She snapped her fingers under her magazine.

Petra looked confused. 'The team?'

'The team, the team, the bloody Quidditch team,' Jamie said impatiently, punctuating her words with rapid finger snaps. 'Any of you going to be trying out? Well, I don't suppose you will,' she added to Petra, who looked hurt. 

Sirius leaned against her bedpost, still putting things away. Her drawers looked like a wreck, as she stuffed her things in them haphazardly. Remus wondered if she'd ever put anything away in her life. 'I might,' Sirius said nonchalantly. 'I mean, my parents will expect it, of course, once they get over the shock of having a Gryffindor heir. Might be a while.' She stared at her green and silver pyjama set thoughtfully, before dropping it to the floor. 'God, aren't there any bloody House-Elves in this blasted place!' she exclaimed in exasperation, before flopping onto her bed, apparently exhausted.

Frankie shot her a scathing look. 'Don't be daft. This is Hogwarts, not your family's holiday beach mansion.'

Sirius sat up straight and looked down at her haughtily. 'What in Merlin's name do you mean?' she asked, in the voice her mother addressed annoying relatives or nosy Ministry workers. 'My family's beach mansion?'

Frankie shrugged. 'Nothing. Knowing you Blacks, you've probably got three.'

'Four,' corrected Sirius. 'And what do you mean, "knowing us Blacks"?'

'Whatever,' said Frankie uncomfortably. 'Just so you know, we don't want any trouble, and my family are big supporters of Muggleborns, in case you've got a problem with that.'

Her voice shook, and Sirius could tell she was highly uncomfortable with the confrontation, and probably didn't want to be doing this at all. Despite how annoying the girl was, she couldn't help but feel some sort of respect towards her. 'I wouldn't have it any other way.'

Frankie visibly relaxed. 'Oh - well - alright, then. Sorry about that, by the way. I just - I just heard -'

Sirius stopped her. 'It's fine.'

Frankie nodded. 'No hard feelings?'

Sirius allowed a smile to pull at the corner of her mouth. 'None.'

Petra let out the breath she'd been holding, and Jamie gave Sirius a reassuring grin. 'So, what's your favourite team?' Sirius asked Frankie. It was a cautious olive branch, and she hoped Frankie would accept it.

Frankie paused to think, a shirt dangling from her arm. 'It'd have to be the Holyhead Harpies,' she said at last. 'That new Beater of theirs is super.'

'Me too!' said Sirius in excitement. 'I might think about being a Beater one day.' Soon all of them were engaged in talking about Quidditch teams.

'And what team do you support?' Sirius asked Remus finally. 'Don't tell me the Canons,' she said, wrinkling her nose at Remus's orange socks, which she was folding.

Remus stopped and thought for a moment. Moving around all the time so she had been, she hadn't really had the opportunity to get into things such as Quidditch or whatever. She preferred to read by far. 'I don't really have a favourite Quidditch team, I'm more of a bookworm,' she answered abashedly.

Sirius stared at her for a second, in disbelief. 'HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE QUIDDITCH?' she bellowed. 'How can you live with yourself? What do you do with life?'

Jamie snorted and nodded her agreement. Remus just looked at her with wide eyes and shrugged. 

'It's time to educate you!' decided Sirius. 'You're coming with us to first Quidditch match of the term, no matter who it's between, and you'll soon learn to love it.'

'Okay,' said Remus tonelessly, not sure what to make of it. 

Sirius looked affronted. She fired a pair of lacy knickers at Jamie's head to make her look up. Sirius's aim was excellent. The lacy underwear landed right on Jamie's head. She looked up, and peeled them off with a look of disgust, and fired them back. 'Oi, back me up!' Sirius ordered. 'Just Quidditch, she says. Like it's nothing!'

'I'm sorry!' said Remus defensively. 'I'm just not that into it!'

'We'll soon fix that,' said Sirius promisingly.

Remus nodded, and began to get ready for bed. She could hear Jamie and Sirius chatting about the train ride. 

'I didn't like the look of that Severa Snape girl,' Sirius told Jamie.

Jamie shivered in disgust. 'Ugh, neither did I. And that Lillian bloke! What a stuck-up prat! Shucks on Snivella for fancying him.' Remus heard her fingers snap again, and wondered if she knew she was doing it.

Sirius just sniggered. 'So, what did you think of Remus, Frankie, and the other girl... Petra, right?' She evidently thought Remus couldn't hear her from where she was fishing around for her pyjamas. Remus listened in anxiously, desperate to be liked, near having had any proper friends before.

Jamie looked around before answering lowly, 'Well, Frankie's a laugh, nevermind what she said before, and Remus seems pretty decent, but I dunno about Petra. But if Remus likes her, I guess...'

Sirius shrugged. 'Same, honestly. I actually think, if we educated her on Quidditch, that I could quite like that Lupin girl.'

Remus cheered inside, and turned around, trying to stop herself from glowing with happiness. She gathered her things, and headed into the toilets.

There were three cubicles for showers, and three for toilets, along with a large general sink area. Beneath the sinks were drawers for the girls to put their toiletries in.

After using the loo, she brushed her teeth and she quickly got changed before the others could come in. It wouldn't do for them to see all of her injuries.

The other girls filed in and out of the bathroom, until all were ready for bed. Soon afterwards, Petra declared that it was time to turn the lights off, and most of them were too tired to argue, even Jamie. Remus was tired, and rubbing her eyes, when Sirius sat up in bed and announced that it was time for a little game and a midnight snack to help them get to know each other.

She flicked on her bright bedside lamp, and Petra shrieked angrily in the bright light. 'TURN THE GODDAMN LIGHT OFF AND GO THE HELL TO SLEEP!'

Sirius frowned in her direction, and flipped her off. Petra glowered blearily at her over the top of her blanket. Jamie was still fast asleep, snoring obnoxiously, and Frankie was tiredly watching the scene with mild interest. Remus groaned and buried her head under her pillow. It was late, and she was not ready for this.

'Go back to sleep, Sirius,' she begged. 'Besides, it isn't even midnight. So we can't have a midnight feast.'

Sirius contemplated this. 'Well, I could wake you all up when it is midnight, if you'd like,' she offered generously.

Petra lifted up her head again. 'NO! Wait -- is there going to be food?' she asked with sudden interest.

Sirius rolled her eyes. 'No, we're going to have a Midnight Feast, but without the food.' 

The sarcasm was wasted on Petra. She thumped her head back on her pillow grumpily. 'I don't know what's wrong with people, feasts without food, indeed.'

Remus emerged from her pillow fort to smirk at Sirius. Sirius snorted. It was because of Remus, though, that the other girls were including Petra. She didn't want to put Sirius off her even more. It was unknown where Frankie really stood, though. She had begun to establish friendships with Alex Prewett and Mason McKinnon, but she wasn't very close to any of the other girls, except maybe Petra, and she got along alright with Remus. The lamp went out, thankfully.

As the other girls ignored Sirius, and soon began to drop off one by one, Remus became aware that she wasn't the only one awake tonight. Sirius lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

'Tough first night?' Remus asked, looking over at her.

Sirius smiled crookedly. 'Something like that.'

'It'll get better soon,' reassured Remus. 'I'm missing my parents as well.'

Sirius sat up and met Remus's gaze. Her eyes shone silver in the almost-full moon outside. She spoke hesitantly, somehow irresistibly trusting this girl she had just met. 'It's... not really about missing them... I'm sorta glad to be away -- but -- they already -- hate me, and I'm scared to make them hate me even more, I suppose. Even though they're deluded and completely wrong, I can't help but want their love and approval.'

Remus nodded sympathetically. She knew what it was like, to always want to impress someone, and always falling so miserably short of their expectations, so short of what they deserved. She could only be glad her family weren't Voldemort supporters like Sirius's were. 

Sirius laughed bitterly. 'I'm expecting a Howler any day now.'

'I get it. You know they're wrong, but they're your parents, and it's natural that you want their love and approval. But I think it's so strong, and I really admire you for realising that they're wrong, all by yourself, at such a young age. I love my parents, and I wish I could be the daughter they deserve, but I constantly fall utterly short of that.'

Sirius stared at her in surprise. 'But your parents -- they're not -- I mean, they seemed alright! And look at you. How could they be disappointed with someone like you?'

Remus flushed, not wanting to reveal too much. 'They don't say they're disappointed with me, and they're the best parents I could wish for. I just don't deserve them.'

Sirius regarded her bemusedly. From what she'd seen, Remus Lupin was the dream child any normal parent could wish for. Not her parents though. Remus was clever, kind, thoughtful, mild, polite, and the kind of person who would stay up with you until midnight to make you feel better, and then you'd suddenly find yourself pouring out your secrets to her. 

Remus looked at the time. 'Look, it's almost late enough -- or should I say early -- to have your feast. We should get to bed if we want to be awake tomorrow.'

Both girls were silent after that, although they were awake for a long while, both contemplating their futures at Hogwarts, both keeping in the darkest secrets they could not tell, at the cost of seemingly everything.


	9. Filthy Mudblood Garbage

The next morning dawned early and bright, and Sirius squinted and scowled angrily at the sun shining directly onto her face through the curtains. She swore fluently enough to make a Hag blush.

Jamie looked over from where she was pulling on her Gryffindor jumper, and shook her head. 'Watch that dirty mouth of yours, Black.'

Sirius looked at her angrily and muttered a few more curse words before retreating back under her bedsheets.

Whilst everyone was changing, Remus made a dash for the toilets, so she could change in private before the toilets became busy. 

After she was done, Sirius still had not emerged, and Frankie was mainly dressed, but she had forgotten her skirt, and began to walk to the Great Hall in her tights and sweater. Remus let out a howl of laughter, promptly clapping her hand over her mouth in horror at how wolf-like it sounded. 

Jamie had finished changing and was trying to rouse Sirius. 'Oi, Lupin, come help me,' she ordered. 'Wake up, you great prat!' she shouted as she shook Sirius's inert form violently.

Remus smirked evilly. 'Aguamenti.' A thick jet of cold, clear water spouted from her wand and onto Sirius, who shrieked like a Banshee, sitting up in a hurry with a string of profanities. 

'BUGGER YOU!' she screamed, loudly.

Remus rolled her eyes. 'Not my type, thanks,' before strolling off to the Great Hall, feeling rather pleased with herself. 

Remus walked in by herself, and took an empty seat on the long benches. Mason McKinnon was there, and Remus nodded at him in a friendly manner. Mason nodded back nervously.

Remus had just finished her first slice of toast when Jamie and Sirius entered the Great Hall. Jamie laughed uproariously at some joke Sirius had told her, and shoved her, and Sirius shoved Jamie back. She slipped, screeching, and landed right on top of Lillian Evans who had walked in at that very moment. 

Lillian let out a squeal of dismay as the breath was crushed from his body. Jamie stared right into his bright green eyes for a little too long, and Lillian stared right back into her bespectacled brown eyes... before shoving her off angrily, a red blush of anger and embarrassment blooming upon his cheeks, enough to rival the deep copper colour of his hair.

'Watch where you're going!' he spat angrily. 

Jamie frowned back, looking hurt. 'Better watch that temper, love! It was an accident!' Her fingers snapped again.

Lillian ignored her, and stalked off to the table to get some breakfast before it was over. He sat beside Remus Lupin. Remus looked up. 'Oh... hiya,' she said nervously. 

Lillian looked at her. 'Oh, hi. Are you mates with that lot?' he asked, nodding disdainfully in Jamie and Sirius's direction. Both were telling Petra and Frankie a very odd joke by the looks of it. 

Remus flushed. 'Well... Yes, I suppose. They're not bad once you get to know them. They're quite nice, actually.'

Lillian raised his auburn eyebrows, and looked skeptical, but didn't say anything. He and Remus had a short coversation, and they both discovered that they could become quite good friends. 

Lillian's bottle-green eyes lit up as he saw Severa Snape skulk into the Hall, surrounded by other first year Slytherins, including several nasty looking boys who were rumoured to have repeated the year several times due to how thick they were. He scampered off to the table, and greeted Severa happily. 

Severa looked up at him, and returned his greeting with a muttered and unwilling, 'Good morning.'

Mulciber looked over. 'Oi, Snape, who's your little friend?' he sneered. 'I've heard this one's a filthy little Mudblood. I'll hex him away if you want.' He fingered his wand lovingly. Lillian wasn't sure if he knew any hexes, but he wasn't anticipating this hostile response. 

'What's a -- Mudblood?' he asked uncertainly. 

Severa shifted her greasy hair over her face. 'It's -- it's nothing. Maybe you should go back to your own table for now. We can talk later.'

Mulciber cackled as Lillian looked hurt and glared at Severa with hot green eyes. 'I see how it is.' He stalked off.

'Good riddance to filthy Mudblood garbage!' Mulciber roared. 

Remus's blood boiled as she heard the filthy insult directed towards her new classmate. It was a horrible term used to describe someone born to Muggles. She didn't know why blood mattered so much. She noticed Sirius watching the exchange with narrowed, furious eyes. A letter was clutched tightly in between her pale fingers. It was smoking slightly, with the some sort of odd crest on it.

Severa held him with her black eyes. 'Don't call him that,' she hissed menacingly. 

Mulciber's eyes narrowed. He elbowed a toad-like boy sitting beside him. 'Oi, Avery, look, Snape's gone and got herself a boyfriend...'

'Ooooooh!' they chorused. 

'Shut up,' hissed Severa. 

Remus looked away, sick to her stomach. Lillian walked towards the table, tears glistening in his eyes, and he slumped down beside Remus. 

Sirius slouched over. 'Well... what a surprise. The greasy headed slime slug betrays her friend.'

Lillian's eyes burned into her furiously, green fire blazing within. 'Shut up!' he yelled. 'You don't know anything! Just -- just go away! You ruin everything!' 

Jamie watched him in slightly awe as he tossed his longish red locks, his eyes glowing angrily, a dark, angry flush upon his cheekbones. She had denied fancying him when Sirius had teased her about it, but Remus knew otherwise. Denial wasn't just a river, as Sirius might have said.

Sirius snorted, tossing her long, silky hair over her shoudlers carelessly. 'Chill, Evans, chill. It's all groovy.'

Lillian threw her a dirty look, and flounced out of the Great Hall, his shirt buttoned wrongly in his haste to get downstairs on time. 

'Morning, lasses,' Remus greeted them briskly. 'You're down late. Frankly, I'm surprised Sirius even made it.'

Sirius looked at her in delight. 'Was -- was that just a pun? That was beautiful!' She came up behind Remus and hugged her, patting her on the head. 'Welcome to the dark side.'

Remus looked confused, then finally got it as Frankie grinned self-importantly at her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. As breakfast finished, and students from all Houses and all years poured out the Hall you their lessons, Remus checked her timetable, and saw that they had Potions first. 

'Come on, now, you lot. We should get going,' Remus said. 

The girls got up, and began to check they'd got the right books in their bags.

'Bugger,' Sirius swore, rifling through her books. 'I haven't got my textbook. It's back in the dorm.'

'Well, go and get it, then!' Remus said irritably. 

Sirius rolled her eyes. 'All right, all right, keep your knickers on.'

'I'm not about to take them off any time soon, love.'

Frankie and Jamie snorted loudly.

'Chop, chop!' Remus said, as Sirius showed every sign of loitering behind to make a sassy reply.

Sirius groaned, and began to set off.

'Not so fast.'

All of them whipped around to see Lucius Malfoy standing behind them, with a few other Slytherins from their year flanking him.

Sirius's grey eyes narrowed. 'Ah, Lucius. I wondered when I'd be seeing you.'

Lucius smiled, but it was cold and did not reach his dead looking eyes. 'The famous heir to the Black fortune,' he said, 'a Gryffindor. My, my. Whatever will your mother say?'

Sirius sneered at him. 'I don't give a flying Niffler's backside what she says. Write her, for all I care.'

Lucius picked at his manicured fingernails. 'Maybe I will. If I recall correctly... Didn't your father explicitly express his desire for you to be a Slytherin, just like the rest of your family? News flies, you know...' Rosier, Mulciber, and Avery all snickered gormlessly.

'Whatever,' said Sirius, slinging her bag over her shoulder. 'I've got better things to do than talk to the likes of you.' She started walking towards the doors.

'I'd watch out if I were you!' Lucius called after her. 'Be careful of where you step, Black!'

Sirius made a very rude gesture at him without turning around.

'Sod off, Malfoy,' Jamie sneered.

'Yeah,' said Remus. 'Stay away from all of us.'

They all hurried after Sirius. 'I can't believe the cheek of it,' Sirius muttered furiously, as they waited for the stairs to swing around again. 'Being threatened by a Malfoy. By a Malfoy!' she repeated, in outrage.

Jamie clapped her palm onto Sirius's shoulder. 'I wouldn't take it to heart,' she said comfortingly. 'He's just a git. And like you said, who cares if he writes your mum? What's the worst she can do? Kick you out?' 

She chortled like this was some great joke, but Sirius gave her a dark look. 'I wouldn't put it past her. She's done it before. I bet she's kicking poor old Dromeda off any day now.'

'Dromeda?' asked Remus. 'She's the Head Girl, isn't she?'

Sirius nodded. 'She's in Slytherin, all right, but she's dating some Muggleborn from Ravenclaw. Tonks, I think his name is. Bit of a tosser, really.'

'We need to pick up the pace a bit,' said Frankie worriedly, looking at a clock on the wall. We have no idea how to get to the dungeons, and we're already late enough as it is.'

'Wait here. I'm going to run and get my book.' Sirius dashed off, leaving them by a portrait of a ogre trying his best at karaoke. Remus winced and covered her ears. She was extremely grateful when Sirius came skidding around the corner, her book in her hand.

She surveyed the ogre with mild distaste. 'What's this?'

'Nothing,' Remus said hastily, as Jamie started to sing along with the ogre. They were both horrible sounding. 'We were just going.'

Frankie grabbed Jamie's hand, and pulled her away. 'Come on. Petra's probably already there.'

With a last regretful look at the ogre, Jamie allowed herself to be pulled away. 'Farewell, my friend! I'll never forget you,' she promised dramatically.

They dashed down to the Great Hall, which Olivia was waiting outside of. She was surrounded by a bunch of disgruntled First Years, who all huffed and grumbled as the girls entered their midst.

Severa shot Jamie a poisonous look as Olivia guided them to the dungeons, where an enormous, fat old man was waiting. 'Hello, hello, welcome!' he greeted them jovially. 'I'm Horace Slughorn, and I'll be teaching you Potions. You'll be with the Slytherins this year.'

This announcement was met with boos and jeers. Olivia rolled her eyes and scuttled off to her classes. 

Slughorn looked slightly nervous as the Slytherin first years pulled up, curling their lips at the sight of the Gryffindors. 'Now, now, calm down. I'm sure you'll all get along fine.'

Frankie let out a disbelieving snort, and Slughorn fixed her with a penetrating stare.

He gestured for the class to enter, and they did, scrambling to get seats with their mates. Severa tried to get Lillian's attention, but Lillian ignored her and took an empty seat, which was promptly filled by a grinning Jamie. Lillian didn't look too thrilled at this seating plan, but said nothing. 

Severa looked devastated. Her seat was filled by a smug looking toad, Dolores Umbridge. Mulciber and Avery grinned at her. 

'Looks like your precious little Mudblood's found himself a new girlfriend,' they whispered just low enough for Snape to hear. 

Remus took a look around the dungeons. They were dark, and slightly gloomy, but not altogether unpleasant. The walls were lined with shelves of colourful and glowing potions, amidst other, less pleasing things that Remus would rather not think about. Sirius plonked into the search beside her, lounging, her tie done incorrectly.

' 'Ello,' she grinned, although she still seemed quite shaken up. 'Looks like you're stuck with me for today.'

Remus gave her a half smile. In front of them, Lillian and Jamie were bickering fiercely already. Severa looked slightly mollified by this. 

Professor Slughorn bustled to the front of the class, and began to ease everyone in, giving a mainly introductory lesson. 

As Remus glanced at her Potions textbook, she was reminded of her trip to Diagon Alley with her parents, and how excited they'd all been that Remus could go to school, especially Hope, who was a Muggle, and was not accustomed to such places.

They'd had to catch the train down their little cottage in Wales; Hope could not side-along Apparate, being a Muggle, and after the hours long journey, they had gone straight to the Leaky Cauldron and had spent the night there.

Early the next morning, Remus and he parents had gone to all the stores, but with Lyall and Hope moving around all the time, they could not afford everything, so a lot of it had to be bought second hand. That didn't at all dampen Remus's enthusiasm, though. She fluttered around, marvelling at everything, just grateful to have been accepted at Hogwarts. 

Her robes were all little shabby, and a bit short, if truth be told, and some of her books were dented and slightly bashed, but Remus was happy. 

The best moment of the entire trip had been when they had entered Ollivander's Wandshop. Lyall had been greeted warmly by the old wandmaker, and they made conversation as Remus waited politely for them to finish, so she could find her wand. Her parents had saved up for this, ever since they had known that Remus would.be allowed to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hope cleared her throat. With a slight guilty jump, Ollivander turned to Remus, and began taking all sorts of odd measurements, making odd humming noises, and taking notes. Lyall and Hope watched, beaming with pride. 

After long last, Ollivander looked at his sheet of measurements, satisfied, and tottered off between the shelves of the thousands upon thousands of new wands, waiting to be sold. He climbed a ladder, and returned carrying one. 

'Beech, 12 1/4 inches, dragon heartstring.'

Remus took it gingerly, and gave it a wave. The windows promptly exploded. Ollivander waved his own wand and the windows mended.

'Sorry,' Remus whispered. 

Ollivander brushed her off. 'No matter, no matter... Let's try another one...'

Several more wands were brought, and still Ollivander looked more and more thrilled. At long last, he returned with another box. Inside it, was a long, elegant wand, and Remus knew it was the one. 

'10¼", Cypress, Unicorn hair,' Ollivander announced. 

Remus waved it, and silver sparks exploded from it. She felt elated. It was a mark that she was a true witch. Her parents stood closely together, eyes shining with happiness.

They paid the total, and Remus hugged each of them, thinking that this might just be the best day of her life, tied with the day she had realised that she would be attending school with all the other children her age. She had never really had any proper friends before, seeing as her parents were always moving around from place to place, to stop people from discovering her secret.

Remus was pulled abruptly from her happy memories by Jamie smashing a large vial of something gloopy and sticky over her desk, and Lillian's angry yells.

The rest of the day went smoothly, and Remus found herself becoming fast friends with Sirius and Jamie. They had many things in common, but also differed on many others. Sirius and Jamie were lazy, but excelled in lessons, whilst Remus also excelled, but she had to work hard for it. The same could not be said for Petra, either way.

Sirius and Jamie were also both excellent on their brooms, as was demonstrated in Madam Hooch's broom flying class the next day. Jamie was a star, though, standing out from all of them. The Quidditch captain, Araminta Bell, even came to watch as Jamie soared and swooped enviably. Lillian was also quite good. They had this class with the Slytherins, and Severa and Avery eyed Jamie's broom skills enviously. Jamie did not miss this, and made it quite blatant that she was showing off.

The first 'week' at school was only two days long, as it was Saturday on the fourth. However, Remus was dreading the week-end, for the full moon rose on Sunday, and it was then that she would have to lie to her new friends, and go and transform in the Shrieking Shack by herself, ripping her skin open under the light of the moon.


	10. Slytherin Politics

Severa lay on her front, and flicked through her Potions book listlessly. Ever since she'd made Lillian leave the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, and Mulciber had called him a Mudblood, they hadn't been talking. 

Severa didn't understand why. She had tried to stand up for him, even though she had asked him to leave at first. He didn't understand. 

Current Slytherin politics were very tricky at the moment, and many of the students had either Death Eaters or Dark Wizards and Witches for parents, or were themselves. Almost all of them were blood purists.

Severa could risk being bullied, tortured, or perhaps, in the future, even killed by the Dark Lord and his followers, if it came out that she was best friends with a Muggleborn. 

As Severa began to flick through her pages with faster and faster speed, Dolores Umbridge clicked her tongue in annoyance at the sound it made. 

'Could you stop that, please?' she demanded.

Severa didn't even look up from her textbook, as she swiftly replied, 'Bugger off, Umbitch.'

The sneer on Dolores' toad-like face grew more pronounced. 'We saw you, you know,' she said in a babyish voice. 

'Saw me doing what?' Severa answered absently, not really listening.

'Saw you with that Mudblood the other day.'

Severa's head flew up, her black hair flying around her face as she did so. Her cold, black eyes burned with an onyx fire as she beheld the squat little witch on the second bed to her right.

'Shut up!' she hissed furiously. 'You don't know anything about him.

A slow smile wormed its way across Dolores' face as she saw how much this bothered Severa. 'Ooooh...' She singsonged in a high-pitched voice, that was unexpected, considering her toadish countenance. 'Do we like the Mudblood? We're even wearing Muggle clothes!'

Severa stood up, tossing her tattered Potions book to the floor. It split apart, but she could not bring herself to care. 'He's not like the other Muggleborns. He's special!'

Dolores batted her stubby eyelashes mockingly at Severa. 'Of course he is,' she drawled, her mouth puckered up like a baby's. 'He's vewy speshuw to us.'

Severa's temper flared. 'Ignis!' she cried.

Immediately, Dolores began shrieking and tearing at her skin and robes as the sensation of burning overcame her.

Severa stormed from the dormitory, wearing large jeans, and a flowy white shirt.

As she reached the large common room, she saw Lucius Malfoy whispering urgently to a few other older students in a corner filled with several armchairs.

He looked up questioningly as Dolores' screaming echoed loudly, abruptly coming to an end as Severa came out of the dormitory staircase, and shut the door behind her, sealing in the screams.

He took in her Muggle attire distastefully as she walked past.

'Going somewhere in a hurry, are we?' he drawled. 'Going to meet a certain somebody?'

Severa did not meet his cold eyes. She kept her head low, and walked past, fuming.

'We're in Hogwarts, you know!' he added. 'You could at least try to dress like a proper witch. There aren't any Muggles here.'

He frowned, as if calculating something. He pretended to hesitate. 'Well - apart from the one you were talking to. Oh, and your father!'

A large girl cackled from beside him.

Severa continued to ignore them, reminding herself it was not worth it to become even more of an outcast than she already was in Slytherin House for the next seven years.

She decided to head to the only place she could consider a sanctuary right now, and a place where she was likely to find Lillian: the library.

The library was one of Lillian and Severa's shared favorite places; they would not be disturbed there, the knowledge contained in all those books, and also, the fact that they could be there together and not have fun or fingers poked at them.

She made her way up all the long staircases from the Dungeons, the stairs not giving her trouble for once, until she reached the library.

She saw his dark red head bent over a book, immediately. His lips formed the words upon the page as he read. Severa's throat constricted as she watched him for a few moments.

She gathered up her courage, and walked up to him.

'Hullo,' she said lowly.

He placed his finger on the line he was on, and looked up. His brilliantly green eyes narrowed infinitesimally as he saw it was her.

'What do you want?' he demanded, managing to make it sound cross and bored at the same time.

Severa took a shaky breath. 'Look, Lillian - I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry - I didn't mean it - you - you don't understand-'

Lillian held up a finger to silence her. 'Stop,' he said coldly. 'You've made your choice, and it's clear who you've picked. You can go back to your precious Slytherin buddies now. I hope you all have a good laugh.'

Severa gaped at how unfair it was. 'You don't understand! They'll kill me! Look what they did to me!'

She pulled back her sleeve, and showed Lillian the nasty burn mark one of the older Slytherins had given her, clad in a mask, dancing off, and cackling horribly. Severa had her suspicions. It could have been Alecto Carrow. She was in with Lucius.

Lillian gasped in horror, all anger forgotten. 'Severa! Who did that to you?' he asked, concern lacing his tone. Severa could not help but feel vindicated. 'You should have gone to Madam Pomfrey!'

Severa pulled back her sleeve, glancing cautiously around the library. She gestured for him to lower his voice. 'I don't know who did it,' she whispered lowly, for effect. 'But what I do know is that they're targeting Blood Traitors, half-bloods, and Muggleborns. That's why I had to ask you to leave. I'm scared for my life,' Severa finished dramatically.

Lillian shook his head. 'I'm so sorry! I didn't understand before. We'll have to be more careful. And we'll get whoever did that to you. What's a Blood Traitor?'

Severa looked ashamed. 'It's - it's a term they use for a Witch or Wizard who mixes with Muggles and Muggleborns.'

'Oh.'

'This doesn't mean that we can't hang out and be best friends,' Severa added hastily. 'It's just better if we're careful. Like you said,' she pointed out.

Lillian nodded. 'Come,' he called, as he walked down an aisle in the library, until they came to an empty area at the back. There was a lovely window seat over looking the grounds. 'We can talk more here. I think Madam Pince is about to explode.'

Sure enough, Madam Pince was glaring at their retreating backs over the tops of her pince-nez glasses.

The two sat down, and began to catch each other up on the latest gossip. It was just like at the pond back home. Severa felt whole again.

The first few days at Hogwarts had not at all been what Lillian had expected. After the start of term feast, Olivia Barnsworth and Fabian Prewett, two of the Prefects led them to the Common Room.

The main colour of the walls and upholstery was red, there was a roaring fire in the fireplace, lion posters all over the walls, cushy sofas and armchairs, and best of all, a large bookcase by a window seat looking out onto the grounds. Rain lashed against the windows. One of the girls, a small, skinny, tawny-haired one, barged to the front and buried herself in a thick book. At least Lillian could get along with one of them.

Olivia led the five girls over to a set of stairs, and Fabian and Gideon took the three boys over to another. 'Now,' Olivia said. 'These are the girl's dormitories, and those are the boy's dorms. Should any boy attempt to climb up to the girl's dormitories, well -' 

She paused as Fabian shoved forth Mason McKinnon, a tall blonde boy. Go on, try,' he whispered wickedly to Mason. Olivia looked at Fabian and sighed, shaking her head.

Mason swallowed nervously, looking at Olivia, who said nothing, looking resigned, as Mason began to ascend the stairs. He had almost reached the top, when, the stairs folded and formed a slide, causing him to fall back violently, shrieking madly as he went. The first years all laughed, as he stood up, looking thoroughly disheveled. Lillian dusted him off. 

'And that's what happens when a boy attempts to enter the Girl's dormitories without permission,' said Olivia wearily. 'You do this every year,' she snapped at Fabian, who grinned.

Fabian led the boys up to their dormitory. It was the fourth one up. It was a cosy little room, with three four poster beds. The draperies were all gold and red. Shrieks and laughter came from the rooms below.

Fabian cleared his throat. 'Your bags are under your beds. You'd better unpack. All good?' he asked, glancing to the noises of a party down below, clearly anxious to go.

Mason nodded. 'We're all good, thanks.'

Fabian grinned and gave them a thumbs up, dashing downstairs like a Thestral let out of hell. Lillian frowned at the funny expression. He didn't know where he'd heard it.

He began to unpack. As the boys conversed and slowly began to get to know each other, Lillian liked Marius, and got the impression that Mason was nice, but bordered on the thin line of being either utterly silent and thoughtful, or insanely mad and wild. The way he swung between the two sort of scared him, honestly.

On the other hand, Alex Prewett seemed normal enough, and he was quite humorous, but sometimes that humour went over into nastiness. Lillian thought he'd get along with both, though.

The girls were an absolute no. Well, mostly Potter and Black. Pettigrew wasn't horrible, but Lillian didn't particularly like her.

Lupin and Longbottom seemed fine, though, despite their oddities. Lillian just hoped things stayed this way.

The next day, Lillian ran down to the Great Hall, eager for his lessons, his belly growling.

Jamie and Sirius entered the Great Hall at the same time. Jamie laughed uproariously at some joke Sirius had told her, and shoved her, and Sirius shoved Jamie back. She slipped, screeching, and landed right on top of Lillian.

Lillian let out a squeal of dismay as the breath was crushed from his body. Potter stared right into his eyes for a little too long, and Lillian stared right back into her bespectacled brown eyes... before shoving her off angrily, a red blush of anger and embarrassment blooming upon his cheeks, enough to rival the deep copper colour of his hair.

'Watch where you're going!' he spat angrily. 

Jamie frowned back, looking hurt. 'Better watch that temper, love! It was an accident!' 

Lillian ignored her, and stalked off to the table to get some breakfast before it was over. He sat beside Remus Lupin. Remus looked up. 'Oh... hiya,' she said nervously. 

'Oh, hi. Are you mates with that lot?' he asked, nodding disdainfully in Jamie and Sirius's direction. Both were telling Petra and Frankie a very odd joke by the looks of it. 

Remus flushed. 'Well... Yes, I suppose. They're not bad once you get to know them. They're quite nice, actually.'

Lillian raised his auburn eyebrows, and looked skeptical, but didn't say anything. He and Remus had a short conversation, and they both discovered that they could become quite good friends. 

Lillian's bottle-green eyes lit up as he saw Severa Snape skulk into the Hall, surrounded by other first year Slytherins, including several nasty looking boys who were rumoured to have repeated the year several times due to how thick they were. He scampered off to the table, and greeted Severa happily. 

Severa looked up at him, and returned his greeting with a muttered and unwilling, 'Good morning.'

A thick set boy looked over. 'Oi, Snape, who's your little friend?' he sneered. 'I've heard this one's a filthy little Mudblood. I'll hex him away if you want.' He fingered his wand lovingly. Lillian wasn't sure if he knew any hexes, but he wasn't anticipating this hostile response. 

'What's a -- Mudblood?' he asked uncertainly. 

Severa shifted her greasy hair over her face. 'It's -- it's nothing. Maybe you should go back to your own table for now. We can talk later.'

The boy cackled as Lillian looked hurt and glared at Severa with hot green eyes. 'I see how it is.' He stalked off.

'Good riddance to filthy Mudblood garbage!' Mulciber roared. 

Lillian walked towards the table, tears glistening in his eyes, and he slumped down beside Remus. 

Sirius slouched over. 'Well... what a surprise. The greasy headed slime slug betrays her friend.'

Lillian's eyes burned into her furiously, green fire blazing within. 'Shut up!' he yelled. 'You don't know anything! Just -- just go away! You ruin everything!' 

Sirius snorted, tossing her long, silky hair over her shoudlers carelessly. 'Chill, Evans, chill. It's all groovy.'

Lillian threw her a dirty look, appalled by her use of 'groovy', and flounced out of the Great Hall, his shirt buttoned wrongly in his haste to get downstairs on time. 

On top of their appalling behaviour, the idiots were also late to meet the rest of them outside the Great Hall. Severa shot Potter a nasty look, and Lillian found himself sympathising with her.

In Potions, he completely ignored Severa. In fact, he ignored Severa for the rest of the week, sticking to his Gryffindor mates, even during broom flying lessons, which he was quite good at. Jamie Potter was showing off as usual. Lillian watched in disgust as everyone crowded around her in awe.

That Saturday, he took a break in the library, not being able to stand any more talk of Potter and her antics. It was as if she had put the whole of Gryffindor Tower under a spell. He opened a Transfiguration book and sat down.

'Hullo,' said a familiar voice, tearing him from his book.

He placed his finger on the line he was on, and looked up. He narrowed his eyes as he saw who it was.

'What do you want?' he demanded.

Severa took a shaky breath. 'Look, Lillian - I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry - I didn't mean it - you - you don't understand-'

Lillian held up a finger to silence her. 'Stop,' he said coldly. 'You've made your choice, and it's clear who you've picked. You can go back to your precious Slytherin buddies now. I hope you all have a good laugh.'

Severa gaped. 'You don't understand! They'll kill me! Look what they did to me!'

She pulled back her sleeve, and showed Lillian a nasty burn mark.

Lillian gasped in horror, all anger forgotten. 'Severa! Who did that to you?' he asked, concern lacing his tone. 'You should have gone to Madam Pomfrey!'

Severa pulled back her sleeve, glancing cautiously around the library. She gestured for him to lower his voice. 'I don't know who did it,' she whispered lowly, for effect. 'But what I do know is that they're targeting Blood Traitors, half-bloods, and Muggleborns. That's why I had to ask you to leave. I'm scared for my life.' Lillian thought she was being a little over dramatic, but he really wasn't sure what to expect after being in the Wizarding World for just a little over a day.

Lillian shook his head. 'I'm so sorry! I didn't understand before. We'll have to be more careful. And we'll get whoever did that to you. What's a Blood Traitor?'

Severa looked ashamed. 'It's - it's a term they use for a Witch or Wizard who mixes with Muggles and Muggleborns.'

'Oh,' said Lillian blankly, not knowing what to think. He'd come into this world, knowing nothing of the prejudices that awaited him within. He wished Severa had at least warned him.

'This doesn't mean that we can't hang out and be best friends,' Severa added hastily. 'It's just better if we're careful. Like you said,' she pointed out.

Lillian nodded. 'Come,' he called, as he walked down an aisle in the library, until they came to an empty area at the back. There was a lovely window seat over looking the grounds. 'We can talk more here. I think Madam Pince is about to explode.'

As Severa followed him, he turned around. 'This doesn't mean I approve of you being friends with them,' he added warningly. 

But no matter how much he disagreed with her choice of friends in Slytherin, he was secretly glad the fight was over.


	11. The Beast Inside

The first year girls lay restlessly in the Gryffindor dorms that cool Sunday evening. 

'I'm boooooreddd,' complained Sirius, her legs up in the air, hanging half off her bed.

Jamie had her Potions textbook open in front of her, but she had nodded off. 

Sirius cast an eye around the dormitory. Frankie was preparing to go for a walk on the grounds with Alex and Lillian, Petra was busy eating Licorice Wands and reading a comic, and Remus had her nose buried deep in a book.

Behind that book, she was concealing a worried and anxious countenance. Shortly, and elf would arrive to pick her up and take her to Professor Dumbledore to go over what Dumbledore had mentioned on his visit to the Lupin house earlier that Summer.

Remus cast her mind back. She had been eating her lunch, when the doorbell had rung. Remus looked up, surprised. Due to the Lupin-Howells moving around so much, they rarely had visitors.

'Mum!' she'd called.

Hope ran down the stairs, and opened the door, not asking who it was. She stared in amazement at the odd man she saw standing there: he was very tall and thin, he had a long, crooked nose, and a snow white beard that stretched to below his waist, tucked in the waistband of his silvery robes. Hope had never seen anybody like him.

'Who - who are you?' she asked, stammering.

He smiled kindly at her, his blue eyes going through her like x-rays. 'Is this the home of Remus Lupin?'

Instantly, Hope's face hardened, and she inched the door closed. 'Who's asking?' she repeated. 

'Lyall will know who I am,' he'd answered cryptically. Remus had come from the dining room to see the visitor. She peeked from the hallway.

'Lyall!' Hope called.

He came down the stairs. 'Yes, Hope, dear?'

'You have a visitor.'

Lyall walked to the door, looking bemused at first, then going pale as he saw who it was. 'D-Dumbledore. Well... come in, do come in, please.'

Smiling benevolently, Dumbledore took a step inside, bending so that his long, pointed hat would not bump into the ceiling. 'Thank you, Lyall, if you wouldn't mind, there are some things that we need to discuss...'

Looking nervous, Lyall had led him to the living room, shooing Remus away discreetly. Remus left reluctantly, but was called back by Dumbledore.

'Remus, my child, do take a seat...'

Then he turned to Lyall, and Hope, who had just entered the room.

'Lovely, isn't it? The Welsh greenery?' he asked vaguely.

Lyall nodded confusedly. 'Is there - was there something you needed? Of course it is a pleasure to have you, as always, but --'

'It took me a great deal of trouble to find you,' Dumbledore said at last. 'Longer than it should have, for such an old friend.'

Lyall looked sheepish. 'Well --'

Dumbledore showed no sign of having heard him. 'As you know, I've been tracking the movements of Voldemort's followers.'

Lyall shuddered violently at the use of Voldemort's name. 'Please do NOT speak that name in this household.'

'-- Voldemort's followers,' continued Dumbledore serenely, as if Lyall had not spoken. 'Among them, Fenrir Greyback. I have many spies.'

Remus froze up. This was it, then. Dumbledore would turn her in, she would be recorded and marked by the Ministry, and she would be locked away.

'What -- what do you mean?' Lyall asked aggressively, trying to hide his fear. 'What's that got to do with me?'

His voice shook greatly. 

Dumbledore cut to the chase. 'I know, Lyall. I know. And I believe that Remus here, is just as much a witch as any, werewolf or not, and that she deserves a chance to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'

Remus gaped. This was not what she had expected at all... She allowed herself to dream for a moment, then sobered herself up. This man was probably tricking her, so that he could turn her in to the Ministry, and recieve praise and honor from them. 

But he was placing a thick scroll of an acceptance form on the table. 'Let's get started, shall we?' he invited briskly, as Remus's parents were still frozen. 'But first of all, I'd better explain how this will work. Twenty- nine days of the month, Miss. Lupin will be a normal student at Hogwarts, leaving to the Shrieking Shack, rumored to be haunted, covered by a Whomping Willow Tree to deter any curious miscreants. The teachers who need to know will be informed, such as Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, some of my more trusted teachers and her head of house.'

Lyall looked astonished. 'We'll -- we'll need a few minutes to discuss this.' He and Hope left the room. 

Dumbledore smiled comfortably at Remus. 'Would you like to play a game of Gobstones?'

Remus squeaked, 'I don't know how.'

'It's alright. I'll show you.'

Soon, they were having loads of fun, eating crumpets, and Professor Dumbledore was letting Remus win, unbeknownst to her, so that Remus was quite disappointed when her parents were back.

Hope pointed up the stairs. 'Remus... could you give us a few minutes? Well just need to talk to Professor Dumbledore to go over some things.'

Remus agreed happily, feeling light headed and elated. When her parents were finished, she waved goodbye to the Professor as he left.

'I hope to see you at school this September,' he said as he walked down the driveway, Disapparating halfway down the path.

Remus had turned to her parents, and they had celebrated the entire day, not daring to believe their good fortune. 

But before Remus was to actually go to the Shrieking Shack to transform, she had to await the House-Elf who would take her to the Headmaster, who would guide her through her first time turning into the wolf at school.

It was for this reason that Remus turned down Sirius's offer of hanging out, although, normally, she would have dropped anything to have been liked and included, never having had friends herself before. It wasn't that Remus was a weak person, or that she was a door-mat, it was just that her new found friendships meant all the world to her, and she wasn't quite ready to lose them yet.

Although Sirius did her best to reject her parent's beliefs, she sometimes said hurtful things, or acted moody, distant, or cold. Remus would have loved to have taken this opportunity to discover some of the secrets behind that face. But she couldn't.

Sirius pouted, and began to tickle Jamie's nose with a long, feather. Remus watched idly, waiting for the elf who come and take her to Professor Dumbledore. She didn't have to wait long. 

It was only a matter of minutes, before she heard a large 'CRACK!' 

There stood a short elf, blinking up at her. 'Penny is being taking you to Professor Dumbledore, miss!' she announced.

Sirius stopped bothering Jamie, and asked, 'Oi! What's a House-Elf doing here? Where are you going Remus? What are you doing with old Dumbles--'

But she was cut off, because Remus had grabbed Winky's hand, and had disappeared in another loud 'CRACK!' 

Jamie's head jerked up, her hair and glasses and hair flying up. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. 'What'd I miss?' she asked sleepily.

Sirius glared at her balefully. 'Nothing,' she growled grumpily.

When Remus opened her eyes a split-second later, she was in a large, circular room, beautifully decorated, filled with silver instruments, and most curiously of all, lined with big, moving portraits of old witches and wizards. 

One of them waved at her cheerily. Remus stared back at her, shyly waving back.

'I see you're already making fast friends with the past headmistresses and masters. That's Eupraxia Mole.'

Remus jumped and turned to see Dumbledore standing behind his large desk. Beside him, on a perch, sat a large and fiery coloured phoenix.

Dumbledore noticed her looking. 'Ah, that's Fawkes.'

'Hello,' Remus said nervously.

'It's good to see you, Miss. Lupin. I trust you remember much of all we discussed over the Summer?'

Once more, Remus was reminded of the visit Dumbledore had paid to her parents. She responded affirmatively.

Dumbledore went over the security and safety details and procedures that he had outlined that Summer.

'Madam Pomfrey is to treat any injuries or maladies that should occur after the transformation, and you are to head straight to her afterwards to ensure your personal health. Come, we should get on our way now, and you can wait in the Shack until the moon raises. I thought we should leave a little early, as this is your first time. I trust you have something to keep you occupied whilst you wait?'

Remus patted her book under her arm. Dumbledore nodded approvingly, and walked Remus over to a rotating staircase, which descended slowly. A doorway opened, and two talking stone gargoyles stood at the door, arguing with each other. Remus hadn't seen this, having Apparated in with Penny. 

'I enjoy 'Cockroach Clusters' if you should ever wish to pay me a visit in the future.'

Remus looked at him bemusedly, and just decided to nod and go along with it. He was being annoyingly vague. She got the idea that he knew exactly what he was doing as his sky blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles.

'Cockroach Clusters it is, sir.'

They hurried through the school, and through the Great Hall. Filch, mopping the floors, eyed Remus suspiciously, but stopped short when he realised she was with the Headmaster.

The Shrieking Shack lay in the village of Hogsmeade, linked to the Hogwarts grounds by a long tunnel concealed beneath a tree called the Whomping Willow. It had been planted specifically for Remus earlier that year. And a Whomping Willow it was.

Remus watched as its branches whipped around violently, causing a small bird to be pulled out of the sky, and to be squished with a thump, and a flurry of feathers. Remus and Dumbledore both winced.

'Violent as this tree might seem, it is a necessary safety precaution, for yourself and the students alike. However, there is a way past it.'

Remus watched as Dumbledore pointed his wand at a stone, and muttered, 'Wingardium Leviosa.' This was probably for Remus's benefit, as it was common knowledge that Dumbledore was a master of wandless magic.

The Willow stood still, as if frozen. Remus hesitated, but darted after Dumbledore as he crawled calmly into the wide, gaping tunnel at the roots of the tree. 

The tunnel stretched on for ages, and just was dark, only lit by Dumbledore's wand (Remus didn't fancy the thought of coming down here by herself every full moon) and it was full of bugs and creepy crawlies, but it did eventually come to an end.

Dumbledore unfolded to his true height, and dusted off his robes. Remus came up, grateful to be out of the tunnel. 

The Shrieking Shack was large, and dusty. It was obvious that there had been an attempt to clean it up, but it was still positively dismal.

The light from the full moon filtered through a hole in the roof, illuminating the dust motes floating around, and casting a ghastly shadow upon the old headmaster's face.

Remus gazed around at the Shack, and at the tree that had been planted for her safety and that of the students, and she was overcome by a wave of gratitude. This man who barely knew her was willing to look past her unfortunate affliction, and allow her into the school, trouble himself for her benefit, and risk great consequences lest he be found out.

'I just wanted to thank you, sir,' Remus said hoarsely.

Dumbledore looked surprised. 'For what, my dear?'

Remus's eyes shifted from side to side awkwardly. 'For -- well -- letting me into the school, and putting yourself to all this trouble when you didn't have to. I don't know if I could ever repay you,' she confided honestly.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in the moonlight. 'Use your talents to make a change to this world, however best you can, and that shall be reward enough for me.'

Remus squirmed, uncomfortable under the effects of the accursed moon. 

Dumbledore noticed this. 'Well, it is here that I must leave you, my young friend. You know what to do, once the transformation is over.'

Remus nodded, and her muscles began to constrict and tense painfully. 

Dumbledore saw this, and hurried on down the passage after making sure Remus was comfortable.

As the moon reached its highest point in the sky, Remus began to writhe and tear at her skin with her fingernails, which were beginning to lengthen and blacken, her eyes dilated and became darker, a dizzying shade of amber or gold, and she let out a howling scream as she faced the moon.

Her screams became louder, and filled with sheer anguish, as her skin bubbled and stretched... fur sprouting all over. She dropped to the floor on all fours, and let out a wolfish howl, turning to the moon. Remus Lupin was no more.


	12. What Sirius Saw

Back in the Gryffindor dormitory, it was getting late. Sirius chewed on the end of her quills moodily. Not even a week in, she was already drowning in homework. School could be so depressing.

She still hadn't completed her Potions homework, and then decided to give up. Old Sluggy wouldn't do anything. He'd probably just pat Sirius on the head, and give her a light warning. After all, in the Wizarding World, the Blacks were royalty. Nobody wanted to come up against them. 

It did have its advantages, however few.

Sirius packed away her things, and lay back in bed, thinking. Her parents had not sent her a letter after she had been Sorted into Gryffindor; perhaps the news had reached them already. They would not at all be happy when she returned for the Christmas holidays. She already found herself dreading it.

All her life, Sirius had been told about how evil the Muggles were, and the Mudbloods, and how they should be stamped out and exterminated like the filth they were. Sirius had mixed with many of the Muggleborns in her house, and they didn't seem all that bad. Lupin, after all, was a half-blood.

Sirius pulled out a Licorice Wand, and began to mull over Remus. She was odd, clever, and witty, but there was something mysterious about her that Sirius couldn't quite place her finger on. She mixed with the other first years, but somehow remained aloof, not unlike Sirius herself when her parent's evil whisperings got to her.

She hated herself for thinking it, loathed herself for even letting it pass through her head, but at times she would give in to her parent's ideology, thinking horrible thoughts that she herself didn't mean, and she didn't know where they came from.

'Mudblood,' they whispered at ginger haired Lillian Evans. 'Filthy blood traitor,' to Jamie. 'Diseased, poor, shabby, scarred little half-blood,' to odd, sweet Remus. 'Freak,' they whispered to her. 'Give in, give in, you know we're right. We always have been. We always will. We're your parents, Sirius, and we know all. Give in...'

Sirius closed her eyes, and prayed for the horrible thoughts to go away. She honestly didn't mean them. She had no idea where they came from. And sometimes it was just so tempting to give in, but there was something inside her that just wouldn't let her, and she clung onto it fiercely with every fibre in her body.

Speaking of Remus, where had she gone? If she didn't return in the next twenty minutes, Sirius resolved to go looking for her. She'd have to be careful, because if she got caught, there would be severe consequences.

It wouldn't hurt to get comfortable whilst she waited, though. She tucked her toes into the comfortable warmth of the blanket, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep...

Remus first became aware of her body as she realised she was pressed onto a cold, hard, dusty floor. Her limbs were sore, and ached ferociously. 

Her face also stung. She probably had a large scratch down the side. If she got to Madam Pomfrey on time, then maybe powdered silver and essence of dittany could be applied, and the new found scars could be healed. 

It seemed that it had not at all been a good transformation. Her shirt was soaked red, and her sides felt torn up. It seemed the wolf had not at all liked the change in environment. It was used to the spell protected and magically enforced cellar at the Lupin-Howell's. 

She tugged on her robes to cover up most of the damage, and staggered painfully to her feet, ready to embark upon the long journey back. The very thought exhausted her. She took a couple steps forward, but then the world suddenly collapsed in a wave of pain and a sea of red before her eyes, and then it all went black.

Sirius woke early the next morning, and looked around the dormitory. Jamie was on her side, glasses still on, snoring loudly in synchrony with Petra. Frankie was half hanging off her bed, mumbling rubbish, her legs kicking in the air occasionally. And Remus... Remus was not there, Sirius realised with a guilty jump. She had forgotten to alert a teacher. She was just debating whether or not to go and fetch Professor McGonagall right away. What if Remus didn't want to be found, and Sirius just got her in trouble?

Sirius resolved to talk it over with Jamie. Transfiguration was their first lesson. McGonagall was sure to make a fuss if Remus was not there. 

However, once all the girls had woken up and gone to class, Sirius was unpleasantly surprised. 

She raised her hand. McGonagall paused in the middle of her lecture and looked at Sirius pointedly.

'What is it, Miss. Black?'

'Where's Remus Lupin?' Sirius asked urgently.

Professor McGonagall's lips instantly went white and thin.

'That, is none of your concern, Miss. Black. I'm perfectly sure she's alright, wherever she is.'

A few Ravenclaws snickered. The Professor returned to her lecture.

'We haven't seen her since last night!' Sirius burst out angrily. 'She could be anywhere, for all we know!'

McGonagall turned on her angrily. 'Five points from Gryffindor.'

Jamie howled in anguish, and Alex cursed. McGonagall looked at them both sharply. 'Don't make me change that to twenty.'

Lillian looked concerned. 'Is she missing?'

'Raise your hand, Mr. Evans!'

It was late that night when Remus finally returned. The other girls were lying on their beds, reading, chatting, (or in Sirius and Jamie's case, planning pranks) and preparing for bed.

Remus stalked in without a word, and slumped down onto her bed, exhausted, and grateful to be there. After laying broken and bleeding in the Shack for hours, Minerva McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey had come and levitated her onto a stretcher, whilst Remus screamed in pain at the way it made her scars break open and bleed even more. 

'Lucky that Sirius Black let me know, that's one Black that's worth something,' Professor McGonagall muttered. Remus felt warmth flood her and felt an inexplicable gratitude to her new friend. If it weren't for her, Remus could have been dead by now.

They had murmured soothing nothings as they levitated Remus's twisted form to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey administered many painful but much needed salves and potions. The powdered silver and dittany managed to heal many of the smaller scars and wounds, but it did little for the larger ones. 

'I'm sorry,' Madam Pomfrey had said regretfully. 'It just won't work on scars these large.'

Remus had nodded and smiled, wishing the potion could heal the scars she had inside. An unlovable monster, a wolf. She knew her father loved her, but these scars would only remind him of what lurked just beneath the surface.

So Remus just lay sprawled on her bed, her shoulders shaking, as she wept bitterly, hiccuping as she swallowed back the sobs.

She would be uglier than ever now. Who could ever love someone like her?

She felt her mattress sinking slightly under the pressure of an unknown person, and she froze slightly as somebody stroked her back with a hesitant hand.

A smell like clean earth after rain, peat, and a slightly electric scent, like a thunderstorm, washed over Remus's extra-sensitive post-moon nose. Sirius. 

'It's -- it's okay, you know,' Sirius said gruffly. 'We've been worried. Where were you all day?' 

Her words came out harshly in her effort not to show how much she cared. Remus could tell, and this calmed her a bit.

'Mum's -- sick,' she said, her voice muffled by the pillow. It had been the first thing to come to her mind. She hoped none of the other girls in the dormitory had noticed her crying. She'd just forgotten to close the curtains on Sirius's side. 

Remus lifted her head to look at Sirius blearily. She hoped her face wasn't all swollen and red and blotchy. At least Madam Pomfrey had manged to get rid of the minor scars. 

She looked at Sirius's long, sleek black hair, and her perfect, smooth face, and for a moment, she almost wished that she were Sirius. But then she remembered who Sirius's parents were, and how hard it must be to live with them as a supporter of the Muggleborns whilst Voldemort was at large, and she changed her mind, grateful for her own two, loving parents.

'I'd better head off to the bogs, then,' she told Sirius, her voice hoarse with crying. Sirius nodded and hastily got up, slinking to her bed in embarrassment.

Remus went into the toilets. There were three shower cubicles, and three toilets. After using the toilet and brushing her teeth, Remus walked up to the mirror, and began to change into her pyjamas. She peeled up her white dress-shirt, leaving her in her undershirt alone, and stared at her scarred body. There were scratches all over, and a huge, red bite mark, where Fenrir Greyback had bitten her all those years ago, although that was covered thankfully. 

Before, she had pitied the werewolf who had bitten her, not knowing that it had been he who had inflicted her with the curse, deliberately, as an act of revenge upon her father for offending him many years earlier in the Ministry.

After a Muggle biting of two young boys, Fenrir had been detained by the Ministry for questioning. He insisted he was a Muggle tramp, but Lyall was disbelieving, and insisted upon holding him until the full moon, claiming werewolves were 'disgusting, soulless creatures who all deserved to die.'

Fenrir had heard, and had taken great offense. The rest of the Committee had laughed and had released Greyback with Ministry Officials, whom three of Greyback's friends overpowered.

Soon after, Lyall had been promoted from his job as a World renowned researcher of Non-Human Sprituous Apparitions, an expert on topics such as Boggarts and Ghosts, and Dementors and the Supernatural, and he had written the Werewolf Restriction Act. He had also offended Fenrir Greyback by insulting all werewolves when Fenrir was taken into custody. It was because of this act that Remus would find life so difficult, and Lyall regretted it with every minute he had. Upon hearing this, Fenrir had decided to act, and had passed on his Lycanthropy to young Remus.

She was only lucky that Dumbledore had heard of Greyback's boasts of what he'd done to her, and had tracked down the Lupins, who moved often to avoid people discovering Remus's secret, and had offered her a place at Hogwarts.

Remus stared at her scars, lost in thought, and jumped violently when the door was swung open abruptly, and Sirius stumbled in, laughing at a joke of Jamie's.

Sirius looked up, and saw Remus standing there, utterly horror-struck. Remus tried desperately to cover up her scars with her arms, but Sirius could still see. Her eyes traveled to Remus's scratched arms and to all the other marks and cuts and bruises marring Remus's thin torso.

She stared speechless for a moment, before Remus shrieked loudly in protest. 

'Sorry... sorry, mate,' mumbled Sirius as she backed out quickly. She slammed the door behind her loudly. Remus stood, wide eyed and frightened. If any of them ever found out her secret, it was all over. It would be back to her house, back to moving around, no friends, no future...

She could only hope that she would be able to keep her secret, and make it through the next few years at Hogwarts. Remus quickly changed, and headed out of the toilets in her too-small patterned pyjamas. She kept her head down as she walked out, swinging her short, tawny hair over her face so no one could see it, and went over to her bed, hanging up her uniform, then climbing in bed, underneath her thick, Gryffindor patterned blanket, hiding her face.

She could feel Sirius's eyes upon her through the sheet, until Sirius left you the toilets, followed by Jamie, who stared at her in turn, too. Remus hoped Sirius had not mentioned the scars to her. She couldn't handle it if both of them knew.

Petra and Frankie went in after Jamie and Sirius, who had decided to take am extra long shower. As all of the Gryffindor girls of the First year began to crawl under their duvets, yawn, and succumb to the blissful oblivion of sleep, Remus stayed awake for hours, unable to sleep, anxious thoughts swirling about in her head.

In the bed next to her, unbeknownst to Remus, another girl was wide awake, but not for the same reason. Sirius Black stared at the ceiling, worrying for her classmate. Was there something wrong with Lupin? Did her parents hurt her? Whatever it was, something was definitely not right with Remus Lupin.


	13. Flobberwors Must be Flying

Jamie was getting bored. It being Hogwarts, a school full of underage witches and wizards, she'd have thought it would be impossible to get bored, but here she was. Already behind on homework, and already establishing a reputation with the teachers as a trouble maker (not that the teachers hadn't been prepared, her father being a Potter and all), she was already off to a bad start. She was sure it wouldn't be long before her parents received a Howler from school.

Her dad wouldn't be peeved, though. He would be glad she was having a laugh at school, just like he had. After all, it was only her first year. She had a good couple years before she really had to knuckle down and work. Her mother wouldn't be too bothered either. It was a good life.

That dreary, dull Monday, she hexed Mulciber at breakfast for calling Lillian a the M word, giving him large, popping pustules all over his face (she lost twenty points because of that), she glued Sirius's arse to her chair in Transfiguration (this prank had been meant for Remus, but Remus was far too smart for that) losing her another ten points, and she'd set a bunch of Nifflers loose in the Charms classroom. Flitwick still hadn't recovered all of his golden equipment.

She'd lost thirty points already, and she wasn't even a week into the term. That was even more than Sirius. Slytherin was in the lead, and if they weren't careful, Slytherin would get the House Cup, for the third time in a row. It just wasn't fair, Jamie reflected.

If only Old McGoogly had heard Mulciber, then Mulciber might have gotten a detention, or worse, if Jamie were lucky, but there was no proof Mulciber had said any such thing; it was his word against Jamie's.

McGonagall had looked like she'd wanted to believe Jamie, as Mulciber had shown a tendency to display hatred towards Muggles and Muggleborns, but she couldn't let it seem as if she were showing favouritism towards her own house.

So it was grudgingly, that she took the points from Jamie, and sent Mulciber off to the Hospital Wing to have the effects of the jinx reversed by Madam Pomfrey.

She was careful to give Jamie extra points in class later, even after glueing Sirius to the chair. 'Better luck next time, Potter,' she'd whispered in passing.

Jamie had grinned, and elbowed Sirius sharply in the ribs. Sirius, unable to move, just glared at her, whilst Lucinda Talkalot from Slytherin laughed. Sirius got her back later.

That part of the day had been alright, but the rest, in Jamie's opinion, had been absolutely awful. To Jamie, any day spent doing work was awful, though.

And Lillian hadn't even thanked her for defending his honour. He'd just sniffed, and turned up his nose at her, claiming that he 'could fight his own battles, thank you very much.'

Sirius just snickered. 'Whipped, that one is,' she'd sneered to Petra, who chucked snidely.

Jamie glared at her. 

'Oh, come on,' Sirius cried. 'Merlin's saggy balls, he isn't even that good looking. I have some biscuits over here, if you're that into gingernuts.'

Jamie turned slowly to look at her. 'What did you call him?' She tried to hide the growing grin on her face, but was failing miserably. 

'Gingernuts,' Sirius reiterated boldly. 'That's right.'

Both of them tried to glare at each other fiercely, but both failed, and they burst out laughing. 

'Gingernuts!' I'll remember that one, Jamie cackled, wiping her eyes, and leaning on Petra for support. Jamie was glad Sirius was beginning to not be so much of a stuck-up prat. 'It's more of a reddish colour, though, I think. Not really ginger.' 

She even spotted Remus smiling briefly as she walked past. Since Remus had come back from her mystery trip to Professor Dumbledore's office, she had been terse and short, not really speaking to any of the others, especially Sirius.

She had taken to sitting on her own on classes and at mealtimes, occasionally stopping to speak with Frankie or one of the boys. She had grown especially close with Lillian. Jamie jealously said that Remus fancied Lillian, but all of the first years knew who was really pining after Lillian, even if she didn't want to admit it. 

Sirius was also staring at Remus unhappily. Jamie saw this. 'What's going on with her?' she asked. 'I thought we were all getting along quite well, and then all of a sudden she goes missing for a whole day, and stops taking.'

'No idea,' murmured Sirius, but Jamie knew she knew more than she let on.

Once the day was over, Jamie had two detentions, one with Filch, for dragging mud everywhere, and one with Slughorn, for being too disruptive. Sirius hadn't even bothered starting her Potions essay, and she hadn't even received a warning, as Sirius had predicted. 

'Better luck next time,' Slughorn had mumbled as he patted her shoulder and moved on to the next student.

Sirius flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked at Jamie. 'Guess it's just that Black blood,' she said smugly. 

'Bugger,' swore Jamie. 

'Yup, bugger the whole lot of them,' Sirius agreed. 'Might knock out the sticks some of them have shoved up there.'

The next couple of days passed in a similar fashion. Remus avoided them increasingly, spending much of her time with Lillian in the library, writing long letters to her parents or some other correspondent, or going for long walks alongside the Black Lake by herself. 

Sirius watched her closely most of the time, trying to figure her out, unsuccessfully. She'd missed talking to the little half-blood, she had to admit. She had been one of the only people who seemed to understand Sirius, and she was funny and interesting at the same time. 

Not like that idiot, Potter, Sirius thought not unkindly. She was in between tolerating and feeling affectionate towards Jamie. The girl was loud, rude, insensitive, stubborn and obnoxious, but it was damn near impossible to truly dislike her. 

And she was just as mad, if not madder about Quidditch than Sirius was. She wondered how her parents would feel about her friendship with a Potter, and then she decided she didn't care. Fuck them. She still hadn't gotten any letters or gifts from her family upon leaving for Hogwarts. Even wayward Andromeda, the Slytherin Headgirl, had received gifts and congratulations.

Sirius still wondered where all the scars on Remus's thin body came from. She sincerely hoped it was not from her parents. They'd seemed alright. Sirius couldn't think of any reason why an adult would want to deliberately hurt an innocent child. Her own parents, whilst being strict and harsh in their punishments had never gone so far as to inflict such wounds upon Sirius's body as there were upon Remus Lupin. But maybe the case was different with Remus Lupin. It always was.

She'd tried to corner her multiple times, but Remus could prove to be quite slippery and difficult to catch when she didn't want to be. By Saturday, she had had enough. 

It was still quite early in the day, right after an awkward breakfast, where she'd been blanked by Remus, who had sat with Mason, Alex, Frankie, and Lillian, when Sirius decided to do something she'd never thought she would in an hundred years: go to the library.

'Flobberworms must be flying!' sang Jamie rudely, whistling loudly afterwards. 

'Flobberworms will fly the day you learn to comb your hair!' Sirius shouted back as she stormed off to the library.

Jamie ran her hand through her messy black locks, looking hurt. 

'Oof,' supplied Frankie.

Sirius burst into the library noisily, ignoring Madam Pince's angry glares and hisses. Stuck up old skinny bat. She could imagine her and Filch getting together at midnight and having a good old snog in the library. She sort of shipped it.

She searched each section, hexing Severa's nose so that it stuck to her book as she passed, until she reached the very last area. 

Remus and Lillian were sitting beneath a large decorated oak table, reading quietly. 

Sirius knelt down so that she was at eye-level with them. 'Sorry to interrupt this snog-fest, but I've got to talk with Remus,' she said lowly.

Remus jumped. Sirius couldn't help but notice that she was looking extremely peaky and thin, with dark rings surrounding her eyes.

'It's not a snog-fest!' Lillian hissed angrily. 'We're not snogging! We were just reading quietly until certain nosy gits came barging in, sticking their noses everywhere!'

'Sticking their noses everywhere, eh?' Sirius asked, grinning, as Severa came tottering in, unable to lift her nose from her book. She'd only left Lillian and Remus for a few minutes to find a new book when she'd been ambushed by Sirius. 'Book's going to have great grease stains over it now. Poor book.'

Lillian clenched his jaw angrily. 'Remus isn't going anywhere with you if she doesn't want to.'

Remus stood up wearily. 'It's okay. I'll be back in five minutes. Make it quick, Black,' she said to Sirius as they left for a private aisle. 

Sirius stared at her in surprise. Lupin had been ignoring her these past couple of days, that much was true, but never outright rude. 

'My friends are waiting,' Remus said pointedly. 'Did you have something you wanted to say?' Her hazel-green eyes pierced into Sirius, daring her to say something. Sirius felt like saying something about how ill she looked, but didn't want to offend her.

She decided to cut to the chase. 'Look, Lupin, you've been ignoring us all like the plague, especially me, and I haven't done anything to you. I know I'm a Black, boo hoo! But that didn't seem to bother you before. Now, I won't ask you any questions about anything you don't want me to, and I promise not to pry, but I... we miss you, and you've been acting weird. And I won't tell anyone about anything you don't want me to.'

Remus looked at her with doubtful eyes. Was it all as simple as that? Would Sirius honestly keep her mouth closed about what she'd seen in the toilets? Would she refrain from asking questions?

Remus sighed, knowing she'd regret this. But she so wanted to be liked! 'I'll think on it,' she promised, looking into Sirius's charcoal grey eyes. 'But... you must understand why I wouldn't want you repeating anything you saw to anyone,' she said softly. 

Sirius nodded her agreement, used to all the secrecy and lies that were pureblood family politics. Just because she promised she wouldn't pry didn't mean she'd entirely forget what she'd seen, though. If Remus was being hurt at home, then it wasn't right, and she desperately wanted to help for some reason. Perhaps it was the vulnerability in the way Lupin looked and acted.

She was about to continue with her talk, when Lillian walked round the corner. 'It's been five minutes,' he snapped, his arms folded. 'You alright, Remus?'

'I'm fine,' Remus said tightly. 'See you around, Sirius.'

Severa stood beside Lillian, her nose finally out of the book. Sirius supposed Lillian had found some sort of counter-curse in those short five minutes. She was impressed, although she'd never admit to it.

'Bye, Snivella,' Sirius sneered, as she stuck out her foot and tripped Severa up again. Lillian let out a growl of frustration as he watched Sirius swagger out the library.

Sirius's temper flared as she heard Remus tiredly apologise after her. 'I'm so sorry. Don't know what's gotten into her lately.'

'Don't worry about it. She's always been that way,' Lillian returned.

Severa just sneered. 

Sirius, however, would be returning to the library. She had some serious research to do. What was the cause of her scars? Was it an unfortunate accident? Was it an unhappy home? Remus Lupin was a tapestry of secrets, and Sirius was prepared to unravel it, string, by string.


	14. Down By the Lake

Sirius flung herself across her bed dramatically, her long black hair splaying out behind her. She stared at the ceiling, the wind entirely knocked out of her.

'Trouble?' asked Jamie sympathetically from the next bed, where she sat, going through her Chocolate Frog cards.

Sirius sprang up in bed angrily. 'Trouble?' she asked explosively. 'Trouble? I go to the library to have a chat with Lupin, and I get the entire Interrogational Force of the Ministry of Magic thrown at me!'

Jamie looked up with interest. 'You what now? I didn't know we had that. The Muggles do. They call it the Secret Poh-lees.'

'It's police,' corrected Petra, not looking up from her book. 'They're the Muggle Aurors. They catch the bad guys.'

'Oh,' said Jamie, finally understanding. 

Sirius growled. 'Wake up, Potter! I didn't actually stumble across Aurors in the school library or anything. I just wanted to have a chat with Remus, and I was set upon by Snivella and Gingernuts. I think they're actually friends. Good for them. They suit each other.'

'Snivella and Evans are friends?' asked Jamie with more interest. 'I mean how could Evans want to be friends with Snivella when there are people like me around in Gryffindor?'

'You're missing the point entirely, Potter! You're meant to sympathise with me!'

Jamie turned to her sarcastically. 'Oh, is that so, Black? Did your feelings get hurt? Did Snivella annoy you with her greasy hair and nose?'

'Actually, I hexed her nose to her book.'

'Well good on you, mate!'

Sirius leant forward, intent on telling Jamie Remus's secret, about her scars, and asking for advice, but then something stopped her. Perhaps it was the sheer desperation in Lupin's eyes, or the way she understood Sirius so perfectly, after knowing her little over a week, even on the first night, but Sirius found she couldn't quite betray Remus like that. She'd promised.

She realised she'd been leaning forward and staring at Jamie with her mouth slightly open when Jamie looked at her pointedly, rudely asking, 'What?'

Sirius flushed and moved away. 'Nothing.'

'Right,' said Jamie, looking at her oddly.

And although the very next day she had a long day, then week of school ahead of her, with plenty of homework, Sirius resolved to get back to the library as soon as possible. If what she thought was happening to Lupin was actually happening, then she owed it to her.

That night, Remus didn't get to bed until the early hours of the night. She was up worrying about what would happen if Sirius discovered her secret. And also, there had been the look in Sirius's eyes when she'd seen the scars.

Shock had faded to revulsion, which had faded to horror. She would never forget that look for as long as she lived. It symbolised everything that anyone, wizard, witch, or Muggle would ever feel towards her: fear.

Even the Muggles whispered tales of werewolves in hushed tones, fearsome, slavering, evil beasts with only the thought of killing and destroying on their minds. They never took into consideration the human within the beast, twenty-nine days out of thirty. One day a month was all it took to make everyone hate her for what she was.

And of all people to share a dormitory with: a Black. Nobility of Wizarding Society, and the epitome of pureblood culture, it was only natural that Remus would be placed in the same dormitory as the heir to the 'Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.'

She would have rathered that she be placed in Hufflepuff, for they were the most likely not to turn her in or kill her if they ever discovered her for what she was. But the Sorting Hat had refused. Stupid old pile of rags. Remus thought about hexing it into a beret. See how it liked that.

However, perhaps she shouldn't be judging Sirius on what her family was like. After all, it seemed like Sirius had kept her mouth shut about Remus's scars, and hadn't gone blabbing to everyone. Or maybe she was just too scared to, thought Remus bitterly as she tossed and turned. After all, who wouldn't be scared of a scarred little monster like her?

She tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable, unaware of another pair of bright gray eyes on her, trying to figure her out. It was in the early hours of the morning when she finally managed to succumb to sleep.

The girls woke early the next morning, with a lot of swearing and cursing, particularly on Remus's and Sirius's parts.

'Calm down with the language, you two!' chirped Jamie as she hopped out of bed, and danced her way to the loo. Clearly a morning person. 

'Chirpy bastard,' glowered Sirius after her. They could still hear Jamie humming in chipper tunes around her toothbrush. 

Remus found herself echoing Sirius's sentiments. 'Too right,' she croaked hoarsely, her left eye matted shut. 

Frankie looked at the pair of them and began to chortle with laughter. She didn't look much better herself, with her hair matted and sticking up to one side.

'Shut the fuck up, Longbottom,' snarled Sirius.

Remus, curious to discover where a young pureblood lady of high society had learned such words attempted to make an inquiry, but was refused with an equally ferocious reply. 

'There's more where that came from,' joked Sirius.

'I'm sure there is,' said Remus, smiling.

Sirius paused a moment. 'I learnt it from my mate, Matthew. He's somebody I used to know, until mother found out I was friends with a Muggle. You think this is bad? You should hear his siblings.'

'Oh? So what happened? Are you two still friends?' Remus asked, encouraged by Sirius opening up. 

'No. Mother hexed him until he was unrecognisable, and then wiped his memories when she was done with him,' said Sirius shortly. Remus wasn't sure whether she was joking or not.

Knowing this was the House of Black they were discussing, she was probably not joking. 

'Ouch,' murmured Remus. 

'Yep. Ouch,' echoed Sirius.

The first year girls all decided to go down to breakfast together, and were late because some of them took longer to get ready than others, as Jamie pointed out, staring daggers at Sirius and Remus. 

'Oh, sod off, no one said you had to wait for us,' snorted Sirius.

Jamie pretended to think for a moment. 'Oh, is that so? Or was it just your identical twin I remember screaming at me to, 'slow down, for Merlin's sake!'

Sirius grinned. 'Yup. It was her. Sneaky little git. She does love to mess with people's heads, you see. We're both just so bloody gorgeous.'

Jamie flipped Sirius the bird, but stopped immediately as she saw Evans. She rumpled up her hair to make it look like she'd been flying, and straightened her glasses, which were filthy with dust and fingerprints. It was a miracle she could see through them. 

'Hullo, Evans,' she called to him.

He looked at her down the end of his nose, and tossed his red hair, walking away with Alex Prewett, who laughed heartily at Jamie.

Jamie looked hurt. 'What's he gotta be like that for?'

Sirius clapped her hand on Jamie's shoudler sympathetically. 'I dunno. Maybe it's the way you say it. "Hullo, Evans," ' she mimicked. 'Reckon it makes you sound like a bit of a cave woman, mate.'

Jamie pinched her arm, and Sirius howled. 

The first years hastily ate their breakfasts, before heading to their classes. Frankie turned up late because she had accidentally snorted a baked bean all the way up her nostril somehow. 

Remus was sitting with them again, and Sirius felt happier about that. Perhaps she hadn't entirely scared Remus off. Maybe her promise not to pry had relaxed Remus. 

Their schedule was changed on a weekly basis, which was pretty stupid, but a necessary evil as this year was one of the largest year groups in years, so they were short-staffed. 

Transfiguration went smoothly, even with the Ravenclaws, and Remus managed to change her pin into a match by the end of the session. McGonagall was very proud. 

Jamie was peeved though, as Lillian had turned his pin into a match right away, whilst Jamie, despite her boasting, had not been able to accomplish this feat.

They had a pretty full schedule for the rest of the day, and Sirius found no opportunity to seek out knowledge in the library, nor did she for a few days. Classes ended roughly at four, and normally they had time to relax or do their homework, but Sirius was booked full for detention.

Soon after was dinner, and after that they had to be back in their house quarters. She had no way of escaping to the library until Wednesday, when they had extra time after school to relax or revise. Perhaps she would finally find some piece of information relating to wizarding laws on child abuse, or unexplained scars on one's body.

Sirius searched for hours and hours, but found nothing. It was extremely unlike her to spend hours sitting still in any one place, focusing, and Jamie commented that she was worried for Sirius's mental health many times whilst she was out by the Black Lake with Petra and Remus. Remus had a slight suspicion as to what Sirius was researching in the library, and she was filled with dread. It was unlikely that Sirius would actually discover her secret, but she could be very sharp when she wanted to. It seemed Remus would have to give her false information.

She could only hope Sirius would be dumb enough to fall for it. She hadn't been at Hogwarts for even a fortnight, and already she'd been stupid enough to relax and let her guard down. Forgetting to lock the bathroom door. That had been her downfall. And being Sorted into Gryffindor house.

The next full moon was on the fourth, on a Monday this time, so it would be even harder to conceal from students and teachers alike. She shuddered at the thought of having to concoct another Niffler and Hippogriff excuse to explain her absence to Sirius. 

Remus was lost deep in thought, when she heard a loud shout.

'Oi, Snivelly! Well, look who it is. Come to pay us a visit? Or perhaps to get a tan? Is it annoying being confused for a vampire so often? Well, a very greasy old vampire, that's for sure. When's the last time you washed your hair? Actually, wait, I'm not sure I want to know. I just ate.'

Jamie was yelling at Severa Snape, who was walking past with Lillian, deep in conversation. 'Sod off, Potter!' she yelled back, looking like an angry bat.

Lillian fixed Jamie with a searing glare, his eyes two green slits. Jamie noticed, and swallowed slightly, deciding to pretend that she didn't care. Remus and Petra saw right through her. They snickered behind her back.

Severa and Lillian tried to walk past, ignoring Jamie, but Jamie wasn't having any of it.

'Oi, Snivelly! Look at me when I'm talking to you! Those your mum's old clothes? Or they your grandma's? Couldn't afford to get a new set? Your parents a lazy set of layabouts?'

Severa turned her head sharply at this. 'DO - NOT - BRING MY MOTHER INTO THIS.'

Jamie seemed to sense she had gone too far, as Petra, Lillian, and Remus gaped at her, but she didn't back down. 'Dad an old drunkard?'

Lillian tried to hold Severa back, but she shoved him off roughly. 'Anteoculatia!' she roared.

A pair of antlers sprouted from Jamie's head. She bowled forwards from the extra weight. 'Alarte Ascendre!' she returned.

Severa went flying in the air. 'Aaaah!' she screamed as she flew into the lake, hitting the peat that lined the lake bed with a heavy thud. Water streamed from her hair and nostrils as she sputtered in shock and indignation. 

Lillian stepped forwards to help. 'Evanesco,' he incanted after pulling Severa from the lake. It dried Severa off slightly, but it didn't stop her shivering with cold, and it didn't help her sodden books and bag much.

Jamie lowered her wand, not daring to cast a spell his way. 

'You'll be lucky if I don't tell McGonagall, you filthy little toerag!' Lillian spat furiously, as he draped his robes over Severa, who shivered out her thanks, and hugged the warm robes closer. 'And you! Lupin! I'm surpised you got in with this lot! You can do a lot better than them. I'm surprised by you.'

'Don't be such a snitch!' jeered Jamie half-heartedly as Lillian threw her a look of utter and complete loathing.

'You went a bit far, mate,' inputted Petra as she stared after the two retreating figures: one small and scrawny and sodden, the other taller and red-headed. 'You know, they probably will tell McGonagall. And you'll be in loads of trouble.'

'It's worth it,' Jamie said in a sulky voice.

Remus, however, was looking at Jamie. The comment about poor parents and shabby robes and belongings had hit a sore spot, even if they were directed at Severa. She was amazed that Jamie would stoop so low to hurt somebody, especially talking about their parents in that way.

So Remus Lupin straightened her shabby robes, and swung her heavy book bag over her shoudler. And without a word, she began to walk away.


	15. Have a Biscuit, Potter

Remus grabbed the first book she saw in the library, and went to read in her usual spot: the section of the library at the very back, which had a lovely window seat overlooking the grounds and lake. Just not the part where she'd watched the duel between Snape and Jamie.

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' by 'Newt Scamander.' He had gone to school with Lyall Lupin. Her book was about Magical Creatures, and it had a highly biased view of werewolves, giving them an extremely high danger rating, and portraying them as dangerous, heartless creatures even in their human forms. Remus let out a bitter laugh before she could stop herself.

'What's funny?' asked a sleepy voice from somewhere nearby. Remus nearly wet herself in shock.

A tussled, black head popped out from underneath the large table that filled the aisle, clad in wrinkled robes and an oddly out of place band t-shirt. Remus had no idea how the young pureblood even knew about Muggle music, let alone owned a band t-shirt. She could not imagine Walburga and Orion Black condoning that in their home. But then, Sirius had secretly had a Muggle friend. She had more secrets than Remus knew.

'Sirius?' asked Remus in surprise. 'What are you doing here?'

Remus had thought that Sirius would have left hours ago. She had to give her credit for dedication.

Sirius ran a hand through her hair, trying to fix it up. The effort was wasted. 'I was doing a bit of light reading... and I'm afraid to say I fell asleep, as you can see.'

'What are you reading?' As Remus asked this, she tried to hide her immense desperation to know, asking in are faux casual tone.

She got up and lunged down for the book. But Sirius pulled it away swiftly and sat on it. 'Ah-ah-ah,' she sang. 'No grabbing. What brings you here?'

Too tired to care much about the book anymore, Remus closed her eyes and gave in, thumping down heavily on her window seat. 'Well... I'm afraid Jamie's gone and messed up a bit.'

'Does that quite often, doesn't she?' snorted Sirius sardonically.

Remus grimaced. 'Well... she spotted Snive-- Snape, sorry, and they got in a bit of a fight...'

'Good,' supplied Sirius. 'Who won? Not that greasy prat?'

Remus sighed. 'I don't know about winning, but Jamie did cast the last hex, but only because Lillian stopped the pair of them. She's probably looking at a detention right now. Severa went into the lake.'

Remus waited for Sirius to stop cheering. Sirius sobered up quickly when she saw the look on Remus's face. 'And then?'

Remus's mouth twisted up into a bitter smile. 'This is going to make me sound like such an oversensitive prat...'

'No, not at all,' said Sirius, climbing onto the seat beside Remus. After what she'd seen that night in the bathroom, Remus couldn't be a drama queen at all. In fact, she was more of the suffer in silence type. Sirius wasn't sure this was a good thing in this case. If she was being hurt by anyone, family or not family, she shouldn't be scared to open up her mouth and speak up.

Remus hesitated. 'Well, she poked fun at Severa for having drunk and poor parents, who couldn't afford to get her proper robes and stuff. And the part about "poor parents"... well it kind of hurt a little because, well...' 

Here, she lamely picked at the end of her second hand robes, which were patchy and thread bare. Remus finished after composing herself. 'I -- well, I got a bit upset, and I just walked off without a word, and now I think Jamie is mad at me.'

Sirius looked at her with concerned eyes. She patted Remus's shoulder awkwardly. 'Well, you know Potter. She's sometimes an unthinking git. She didn't mean any of it. It's only because she hates Snivella so much.'

'But that doesn't give her an excuse! She can't just go around telling people rubbish like that!'

'It was below the belt,' agreed Sirius calmly. But her eyes were hard and cold. 'I'll have a word with her. Snivelly's a twit, but you can't compare people to their parents. I mean, look at me,' she joked. 'I have the wannabe Death Eaters.'

Remus couldn't help but laugh. She was grateful to have had a proper conversation without mention of her scars.

'And your robes aren't even bad,' lied Sirius. 

And just like that, Remus felt better.

When Sirius and Remus went to dinner that day, it was to discover that Jamie had got a detention indeed. 'She deserves it,' whispered Sirius, and Remus could not find it in herself to argue.

She and Sirius had sat further down the table than usual, closer to the boys. Mason McKinnon kept staring at Sirius, which she found annoying, but Sirius insisted that Remus should learn not to be such a doormat. After all, she had a good reason to be upset with Jamie, and Sirius thought that Jamie should apologise first. 

Remus was extremely dubious of this, and was prepared to go straight to Jamie and apologise for storming off, so desperate was she to keep her friends, but Sirius would not let her. 

Remus was also surprised that Sirius Black was bothering herself with a little problem such as a little spat Remus had with Jamie, who was well on her way to becoming Sirius's best mate, and honestly, Sirius was surpised at herself too. 

All her life, she'd never cared, not for anything or anyone, and here she was, defending the feelings of a girl who she hadn't even known for a month, a mysterious girl who disappeared with House Elves for entire days, and who was covered in odd scars.

Jamie spotted Sirius glaring at her. 'Something up, Black?' she asked carelessly.

'Yeah, there is,' snarled Sirius. 'Think before you speak, yeah?'

Jamie looked bewildered, then spotted Remus staring at her lap. 'You still upset about what I did earlier, Lupin? Snivelly deserved it!'

Sirius slid down the bench menacingly. 'While I don't doubt that slime ball deserved it... that's not what I'm talking about. Think earlier.'

Jamie still looked confused.

'I'll jog your memory for you, if you like. When you stoop so low as to make fun of people's robes, there's a problem.'

Jamie's face twisted with confusion. 'But it wasn't even meant for you! It's not that much of a big fuss.'

'It doesn't matter who it was directed at, it matters that you were a complete and utter git,' sneered Sirius. 

Jamie frowned. 'Okay, then...'

'Don't mess around, Potter,' said Sirius menacingly. 'You know what you said.'

'Listen, Remus, I'm sorry--'

'It's alright,' muttered Remus, but she was shushed by Sirius. She knew that Sirius probably would have said the same thing to Snape, but she didn't care at the moment. She was just grateful that Sirius was sticking up for her.

'I don't think when I'm around Snape,' finished Jamie. 'I say the most hurtful thing that comes to mind, and I don't of what consequences it has for others. I'm sorry.'

Remus nodded and smiled. 'It's okay. I understand. I didn't really want to make a huge fuss, or anything, but Sirius--' 

She was silenced by Sirius placing a hand over her mouth. 'Shush... and enjoy that apology from Potter. It's going to be a while before we hear another.'

'I hope you can forgive me,' said Jamie sincerely.

'Of course,' Remus smiled, before McGonagall came and wheeled Jamie off for her detention. 

Lillian, who had been listening, placed a hand on Remus's shoudler. 'I'm glad she's apologised, and now I'd like to apologise if I hurt you in any way earlier.'

'Nah, it's all good. You were right to be angry about what happened.'

Lillian nodded and went back to Alex.

Sirius waggled her dark eyebrows at Remus. 'Ooooh... I think a certain gingerbread man likes our Remus...'

Remus giggled. 'Not my type. Definitely not my type. Jamie would have a lot to say about that. And I'm not looking to go out with someone.'

'We'll see,' said Sirius mysteriously. 'We'll see.'

Jamie rocked back and forth on her chair in McGonagall's office as she sat watching McGonagall mark a thick pile of tests.

'I'm quite disappointed in you Potter. I heard about what you said and did to Miss. Snape and Mr. Evans earlier on,' said the Professor in her thick Scottish accent, without looking up. 

Jamie took a shaky breath. 'I'm -- I'm sorry. I have problems with Sniv -- with Severa,' she corrected, as Professor McGonagall looked at her sharply, 'and I went too far, blaming her for something she couldn't help. I also hurt Remus by what I said.'

'You did what?' 

'I hurt Remus. Not purposely, of course. But I think I might have made her upset when I made fun of Snape's robes and parents.'

McGonagall frowned at her irritably. 'Have a biscuit, Potter,' she said, shoving the tin forwards.

'What?' asked Jamie, sure she'd misheard.

'I said, have a biscuit, Potter.'

Jamie stared at her quizzically, and then reached forward, and took a shortbread biscuit. It was delicious.

'Thanks.'

McGonagall got up. 'You will stay here while I go to sort out a few issues,' she instructed firmly. 'If you get up to any mischief, I will be notified immediately, and there will be severe consequences.'

She looked so formidable as she said this that Jamie did not even dare to think about marauding about. 'Okay,' she agreed meekly, her voice cracking.

McGonagall fixed her with a piercing stare, and walked out the room in a swirl of robes.

Jamie leaned forward on her desk, and began to think. When she had recieved her Hogwarts letter on her 11th birthday, her parents had been so happy and proud. That late March morning had been one of the best of her life. 

She'd resolved to be Sorted into Gryffindor, charming everything in the gold and maroon colours of the house of the brave, the good, where those noble and true of heart were grouped together. Today, she'd undermined all those values, by being shallow and hurtful. Jamie had her sore spots too, and she would be deeply hurt if somebody came and threw all those in her face.

It by no means meant that she would stop quarreling with Severa Snape, but at least in the future she would know better than to target one's parents.

Because parents were what everyone needed, and everyone wanted to be loved by them, and have kind, responsible, and understanding parents, but not all people had that luxury. Take Sirius, for example. She came from one of the sacred twenty-eight pureblood houses, one of the darkest in Europe, and she was all right. And Remus -- well, she didn't know a whole lot about Remus, but she supposed she must have all right parents as well.

Severa sat with Lillian in the library. They were reading in silence, until Lillian finally spoke.

'I'm sorry for what Potter did to you.'

'It wasn't your fault,' said Severa shortly.

Lillian nodded, nor really having a reply to this, and Severa was taken back to another time when she had been desperately in need, and Lillian and helped her.

Her parents had been fighting, throwing heavy objects at each other, screaming and fighting and swearing. It was not at all a suitable environment for a child. 

So Severa had fled to Lillian's house, and had stayed the night. Lily's parents had been most welcoming, and had fed Severa with the first meal she'd had that day, eyeing her pityingly as she wolfed it down like she'd never seen food before. After that, they made sure to invite her around for dinner often, despite Patrick's complaints.

Severa had known her and Lillian were meant to be best friends from the moment she'd seen him perform magic, his copper red hair shining like a penny in the sun. 

She savoured the memory of when she'd first met Lillian, the turning point in her life. There was the 'before Lillian' era, and the 'after Lillian' era.

For Lillian, it would also mark the day that he and Patrick would split apart, divided by magic. 'Freaks,' Patrick had called them. And then he ran away. 

After leaving for Hogwarts, Severa thought she'd be done with bullies and losers, but then she'd met Jamie Potter, and Sirius Black. But although their words and jibes hurt, it would never hurt as much as the word 'freak' had.


	16. Red and Warm Blood

The next two days went past smoothly in comparison to the others. Lillian made sure his friendship with Severa was kept on the lowdown, and he knew better than to go up to the Slytherin table again.

The Slytherins were still rude, but there were no proper fights, and nobody was arguing.

When Jamie found out that Lillian and Severa were friends again, she was quite disappointed. 'Deserves better than that ruddy Slytherin tosser, he does,' she was often heard muttering.

When Sirius accused her of fancying him, she denied it vehemently. The rest of Gryffindor just rolled their eyes and went about with their business. It was as plain as day that Jamie was smitten by the Muggleborn red-head.

That day in Potions, Lillian was working with Severa. Jamie cast jealous glances at the two of them, as she was forced to work with Slytherin Moira Selwyn. When they were half way into making their Pepper-up Potions, Jamie had to admit, however grudgingly, that Moira wasn't actually a nasty person, and that not all Slytherins were scum. She'd never say that out loud, though.

She added in the Octopus Powder, and Moira nodded curtly, stirring it in. 

Slughorn squeezed past, the tables lifting up as his great belly jolted them.

'Well done, well done,' he exclaimed jovially at Lucinda Talkalot and Leanne Jackknife's cauldron.

He paused questioningly at the fumes coming off of Remus and Sirius' cauldron. Both were red faced and bushy haired. Sirius had a look of horror and desperation on her face as she clawed at her bushy hair, trying to make it smooth down.

'Too much Mandrake Root?' asked Slughorn quietly.

Remus shrugged, and pointed to an empty glass bottle. Slughorn picked it up wordlessly.

After a minute of squinting at the bottle, Slughorn placed it back down on the table. 

'I don't even want to know how you thought Bubotuber Pus was part of this Potion. I'm very disappointed in the both of you,' he said, crooking his finger reprimandingly.

Then he shuffled off to the other's tables. He gave them feedback, critisim, scoldings, and praise, until he reached Severa and Lillian's cauldron.

He stood there for a minute, astounded, while Lillian and Severa waited nervously. All of a sudden, he broke into applause.

'Excellent work!' he boomed. 'Excellent, simply excellent. Tell me girl, how did you do it?' he asked, turning to Severa, not giving any thought to Muggleborn Lillian.

Severa turned her head quietly to Lillian. 'It was him, too, actually,' she said quietly.

Slughorn looked at Lillian appraisingly. 

Lillian looked cross. 'You know, just because I'm a Muggleborn doesn't mean I don't know anything--' he began defensively.

Slughorn looked taken aback. 'No, no, no! You mustn't think I'm prejudiced. It's just that it's not expected of you to know so much. Severa's mother is a witch, so I would expect it of her to have some knowledge in Potions, whereas for Muggleborns, it's a lot harder.'

Evan Rosier chuckled at this. 'Couldn't even do better than a filthy Mudblood, half-blood,' he whispered low enough so that only Severa and Lillian could hear. Lillian flinched as though he'd been slapped.

Slughorn continued with his rambling praise, obliviously. 'Ten points to Slytherin and Gryffindor each!' 

Jamie's blood boiled as she watched Severa take credit for Lillian's work. In all honesty, Severa had done her equal share of work, but Jamie didn't want to see that.

She pointed her wand at the burner underneath the cauldron. 'Incendio!' she muttered, feeling victorious as the Mandrake Root reacted with the Bicorn Horn that Severa had just added. It was too soon to heat the Potion. It exploded, covering Severa and Lillian in gloopy green goo. Both of them screamed and shrieked.

The whole class snickered.

Slughorn came over. 'What's happened here?' He tutted. 'You've heated it too soon, dear,' he frowned at Severa. 'A shame, a shame, it was the best in the class.'

Severa protested. 'But I didn't! It was Potter! I know it was!' She glared fiercely at Jamie.

Slughorn winced. 'Miss. Potter is over there. It's highly unlikely that it was her. Now, I advise you two to get to the Hospital Wing and see Madam Pomfrey about that mess before the Mandrake Root starts to burn.'

As the two dripping students turned to the door, and headed from the Potions classroom, Lillian came close enough to whisper in Jamie's ear. 'I know it was you, Potter. You don't fool anyone.' 

He flicked some extra goo off his fingers onto her glasses for good measure. Jamie stared ahead, frozen in shock, as she wiped her spectacles clean with her sleeve once he'd left.

The rest of the day didn't go well for Severa. Slytherins from all years, all over the castle, no matter where she went, made fun of her for being friends with a Muggleborn. 

Severa had faced jeers and boos and slurs from Mulciber and Avery, who claimed it was what she deserved, hexes from Evan Rosier, snide remarks from Dolores Umbridge (whom Severa was pretty sure wasn't a pureblood herself), sneers from Lucius Malfoy, and even an odd look from Moira Selwyn.

She was fed up of it all. No matter where she went, it seemed to follow her. At least Lillian wasn't angry with her again. On the contrary, he seemed rather pleased that she wasn't denying she was friends with him. She have herself a little shake. She shouldn't care what he thought so much.

Severa hauled her heavy bag over her shoulder, and headed towards Transfiguration class. She hung her head, and let her lanky black hair fall over her face as she recognised Lucius Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins walk past. 

Antonin Dolohov gave a great shout of laughter at a joke Narcissa told, although it seemed strained and slightly fake. Lucius gave him an odd look, but let it pass.

Severa had almost thought she was safe, when she heard a yell come from behind her. 'Oi! Oi, Snape!' Severa recognised the voice as Alecto Carrow. She sighed internally. There was no way she was escaping from this one entirely unscathed. 'Yeah, you! I see you skulking there! Are you trying to hide, little coward Blood Traitor? Did you think I wouldn't see you?'

Alecto walked over to Severa aggressively, as the rest of the Slytherins paused and watched in silence.

'Heard you was with the ginger little Mudblood,' Alecto croaked accusingly. 'Don't you know not to mix with them? You's only a half-blood-' she gave her a condescending sweep with her eyes, '-but you's should still know what a Mudblood's place is. Your mother certainly didn't!'

Alecto cackled, and several of the others followed suit. Severa's temper flared, but she stared firmly at the ground in front of her, determined not to give Alecto a reason to make an enemy of her.

Alecto's calloused hand grabbed Severa's chin, and yanked it up forcefully, so that Severa was forced to look up into her squinty, piggish eyes. Severa made her eyes flat, pitch-black, empty voids, absent of emotion.

'Yeh look at me when I'm talkin' to yer,' Alecto snarled.

Severa stared at her, unblinking.

Narcissa checked her golden watch conspicuously. 'Come, Alecto,' she stuttered nervously. 'We're going to be late. Flitwick will give you detention for sure if you're late again. And I've got Arithmancy. You got caught up with that Hufflepuff last time.'

Alecto released Severa's chin, and turned around. 'I don't care about ruddy Flitwick,' she grunted. But all the same, she turned around, and headed towards the waiting group. 

Just as Severa had turned the other way, a red jet of light hit her bag, which split open at the seams, spilling all her tattered books on the ground, and breaking her ink jars. Severa stared at the mess in dismay. There was no way she'd make it to Transfiguration on time.

Alecto and her cronies cackled as they began to walk off.

Severa siphoned the ink off her books, and attempted to mend her bag, but nothing would put the ink back in the bottles.

Going back to her dormitory that night wasn't easy, either. Severa was laughed at from the moment she entered the Common Room, to the moment she set foot in the girl's dormitories, and even after then.

It seemed that Dolores had convinced the other girls not to talk to her. Lucinda and Leanne were talking together about the Holyhead Harpies as usual, but they were ignoring Severa more conspicuously now. Even Moira Selwyn did not speak to Severa unless asked a direct question, and it was still curt nods or short, sharp answers. Severa had never hated Dolores Umbridge as much as she did then.

Saturday wasn't much better. She didn't dare to seek out Lillian in case someone from her House was watching, and nobody from Slytherin was really willing to talk to her, so she was extremely lonely, having nothing to do except walk on the grounds by herself, and read her textbooks.

Severa began to suspect that maybe Slytherin wasn't the best house right now. Of course, it was a great house, and her mother's entire family had been Slytherins, but times were changing. 

As the Dark Lord's influence over Pureblood families grew, so did the hatred they already fostered for Muggleborns and Muggles. The Dark Lord was just stirring up all the bad feelings, and lighting the fire.

By Sunday Severa was so lonely, that she accepted Mulciber and Avery's offer of hanging out by the lake. They were the only two who would talk to her, even if they made pointed jibes at Muggles and Muggleborns every so often, hoping to get a rise out of her. She wouldn't deign them with a reply.

The three of them sat in the shade of a tree by the lake. Avery was eating a slice of watermelon; every so often, he would spit out a seed into the water, and see how far it would fly.

Severa wrinkled her nose at him, finding this disgusting. He grinned. 'So what's the deal with you and that ginger Mudblood, eh?'

Severa felt the usual anger she did when one of the Slytherins talked lowly of Lillian, but instead she just replied quietly, 'There's no 'deal'. He's just someone I know.'

She felt horrible for betraying Lillian, but she knew Lillian would understand.

Mulciber snorted. 'Don't seem like that.'

Severa huffed at him. 'Well, it is.'

They sat in silence for a while after that, watching Avery spit his seeds everywhere, until Mulciber smacked his head and told him to quit.

'Look,' said Mulciber suddenly. He pointed to a cluster of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff first years. 'There's a bunch of Mudbloods and Blood Traitors. Want to have some fun?'

Avery leapt up eagerly, and followed Mulciber.

Severa stumbled to her feet, and staggered after them. 'Wait - stop - no,' she mumbled weakly at the two of them. Neither listened. 'Not worth it -we'll get in trouble.'

Both of them turned to her. 'It is worth it,' Avery argued. 

'This could be your chance to prove yourself,' said Mulciber temptingly. 'If you hex a Mudblood or two, I'm sure Lucius would hear about it, and then perhaps Alecto Carrow, and then the rest of Slytherin, and before yeh know it, yer a bleedin' celebrity!'

Severa swallowed. It was quite tempting. But then Lillian would never forgive her. 

She shook her head. 'Do as you will. But I'm taking no part in this.'

Mulciber looked disappointed. 'I knew it,' he sneered.

He stomped up to the Hufflepuffs, and cast a Stinging Hex at one. The plump girl squealed in pain as it hit her directly on the face.

Her friends crowded around her. 'Greta? Are you alright?'

Avery lifted his wand and cast another hex into the crowd. Another student fell to the floor.

An angry roar broke through the crowd. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Jamie Potter, and, as Severa observed with a sinking heart, Lillian Evans, stepped forward, and challenged Mulciber.

Severa redoubled her efforts to dissuade Mulciber and Avery.

'And what do you think you're doing?' asked Jamie arrogantly, twirling her wand in between her fingers. By now, the Hufflepuffs were helping their fallen friends to the Hospital Wing.

Avery smirked, but didn't reply. He flicked his wand, and shouted an unknown hex which sliced a deep gash into Lillian's soft cheek. Lillian stumbled in shock, his fingers tracing the gash, and coming away stained.

Severa snapped. At that same moment, she, Potter, Lupin, and Black fired hexes simultaneously at Mulciber and Avery, until the two fell into the shrubbery, unconscious.

Severa hoped they hadn't seen it was her firing the hexes. There had been so many that it was possible they didn't know. 

As the four Gryffindors and Severa backed away, Jamie gave Severa a small nod, and then strode away from the crime scene with Black and Lupin.

Lillian gazed at Severa a moment longer, his green eyes looking betrayed and hurt. Blood dripped off his cheek, blood just as warm and red as hers, or any Pureblood's, Severa realised. Lillian held her stare, then he swiftly turned and headed after his Housemates. 

Severa stood by the bank, watching him go, more alone than she had been before.


	17. Beast In the Bathtub

Lillian sat by the side of the Black Lake, chatting to Alex and Marius, whilst Mason was doing some kind of odd dance in the water with Frankie watching. His feet were bare, and clouds of silt and mud were being stirred up.

It seemed that half the year was there. Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew were all sitting precariously on a low tree branch hanging over the shallow waters of the lake, as Black tried to hang upside down by her legs from the branch.

She grinned wildly up at Potter, giving her a thumbs up. Her hands trailed in the water, and the tip of her hair skimmed the surface. Lillian caught Mason staring at Sirius as she laughed at Potter upside down.

Lillian raised an auburn eyebrow at him. He turned away, blushing, and continued splashing away in the lake, but it seemed forced.

It was quite peaceful by the lake; the sunlight of the late September afternoon filtered through the light cloud cover, and shone into everyone's eyes, bathing everything in a warm shade of gold. 

It seemed that the Lake was a popular hangout place. A crowd of Hufflepuffs were also chattering nearby.

The peace was broken by a loud shout. 'Torpere!' 

Mulciber had stomped up to the Hufflepuffs, and cast a Stinging Hex at one. The plump girl Lillian recognised as Greta Catchlove squealed in pain as it hit her directly on the face.

Her friends crowded around her. 'Greta? Are you alright?'

Avery lifted his wand and cast another hex into the crowd. Another student fell to the floor.

Lillian scrambled to his feet, fumbling for his wand. 

Sirius and Jamie seemed to have a similar idea as Sirius swung around on the branch like a monkey, and pulled Jamie towards the disturbance. Remus also seemed to have a similar idea, as her mouth stretched into a grim line, and she followed, seeming more menacing than all of them put together.

Sirius roared angrily at Mulciber, unintelligibly. Lillian's heart sank as he saw Severa beside Mulciber and Avery. They'd talked about this. She seemed to be trying to make them back off, though. Avery swatted at her like she was an annoying fly. Lillian's temper swelled.

Jamie strolled up casually, contrary to Sirius's wild entrance, although Lillian could see the anger underneath. 'And what do you think you're doing?' she asked arrogantly, twirling her wand in between her fingers. By now, the Hufflepuffs were helping their fallen friends to the Hospital Wing.

Avery smirked, but didn't reply. He flicked his wand, and shouted an unknown hex which sliced a deep gash into Lillian's cheek. Lillian staggered back and gasped in pain, pressing his hand to his cheek, and feeling nauseous when it came away, slick and sticky with red blood.

Lillian watched as something in Severa snapped. At that same moment, she, Potter, Lupin, and Black fired hexes simultaneously at Mulciber and Avery, until the two fell into the shrubbery, unconscious.

Severa backed away in horror. Lillian knew she'd been trying to get in the Slytherins' good books, so that she could at least survive her first year. 

As the four Gryffindors and Severa backed away, Jamie gave Severa a small nod, and then strode away from the crime scene with Black and Lupin, not glancing back to check if Lillian was following.

Lillian gazed at Severa a moment longer, his green eyes looking betrayed and hurt. He didn't know what to think. Of course it was noble of Severa to stand up for him like that, but what had she been doing with them in the first place? Blood dripped off his cheek. Severa was gazing at Lillian with wide eyes. Lillian held her stare, then he swiftly turned and headed after his Housemates. 

Alex, Frankie, Marius, and Mason followed, shooting Severa the customary Gryffindor dirty look as they passed. Not for the first time, Severa found herself wishing she'd been sorted into Gryffindor with Lillian. Then things could have been so much easier.

Jamie flopped onto her bed, breathless and excited after the fight. 

'We crushed them!' she exclaimed to Sirius, who rolled over and stretched he palm towards Jamie's bed to give her a high-five.

Jamie slapped her palm, and then wiped her hand, which was sweaty from the fight.

Sirius leaned back on her bed to rest upon her elbows. She frowned. 'I'm not sure why Snivella was on our side, though.'

Jamie shrugged, biting into a Licorice Wand that had been on Petra's nightstand. 'I reckon she fancies Evans, the stupid little prat. Even a snake can bite another, I suppose.'

Sirius snorted. 'What a twat, though. She likes him, and then she goes and hangs out with the people who ruddy want to kill him, and all other Muggleborns!'

'I know!' Jamie squealed, overcome with outrage at the unfairness of the situation. 'And what's Evans bloody pissed at us for? We're the ones who bloody stuck up for him. Where did he go, anyway? He was following us a while ago.' She looked around the empty dormitory. 'And where is everyone else?'

'I dunno.' Sirius closed her eyes and leaned back against the headboard of her bed, tired of all the nonsense. 'I guess they went to the Hospital Wing or something, Mulciber made a ruddy gorge in Evans's cheek. And I suspect he's just a wee bit upset after his pet snake went and bloody betrayed him.'

Sirius spoke in a low and sarcastic tone, speaking quickly, and snapping her eyes wide open with irritation at Jamie's obliviousness as she finished. 

Jamie looked at her in surprise, her eyes growing larger behind her glasses. 'Whoa! Mate, you need to calm down. It's the ruddy Slytherins that are at fault here, not me.'

Sirius sighed and played with the edge of her red and gold bed drapes. 'I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so, so, fed up. With the Slytherin purists. With my family. With myself.' Her tone was serious, but switched to playful, as she added, 'But not as much as I am with you. Thick as porridge, you are.'

To prove her point, she picked up her wand, and aimed it at Jamie's head, ruffling up her hair.

Jamie started in surprise, pushing her glasses up her nose, and trying to fix her hair. 'Oi! Can you not do that? It's not like it wasn't messy enough!'

'Not as messy as you make it,' joked Sirius, miming Jamie sweeping up her hair in front of Lillian, immediately on the defensive as Jamie picked up a pillow, and aimed it at her head.

She threw it with all the force in her lanky arms, and it hit Sirius and exploded all over her books and bed...

They both giggled as Sirius shook feathers out of her hair. 'Oh, you're on, Potter. You're so on,' Sirius growled, a gleam in her eye as she picked up her own pillow menacingly.

Remus trudged up the many stairs to the dormitory wearily. As she pushed against the door, she mopped her brow. She was ready to climb into bed and catch an early night after all the drama she'd dealt with today. There had been the fight with Mulciber and Avery, and the aftermath of Snape's betrayal. Lillian had had to be taken to the Hospital Wing, and afterwards, Remus had sat with him in a dark corridor, calming him down, and letting him cry into her shoulder, distraught at the changes in Severa, and her choice of companions.

Despite being emotionally exhausted herself, keeping her secret, worrying about the moon cycles, studying, anxious letters from her parents, and now the wannabe Death Eaters in Slytherin, Remus had kept it all in, and self-sacrificingly held Lillian and listened to his problems although she needed that herself. 

She wondered what it would be like having a friend who knew about her Condition, and who wouldn't judge her for it. Impossible. She shook her head to clear it, her tawny hair flopping in her eyes, as she stumbled into the room.

Two shrill giggles greeted her. She turned her head to see Jamie and Sirius issuing a series of high pitched giggles and shrieks at each other like crazed Cornish Pixies. Sirius's black mane was filled with white feathers, and Jamie's hair was almost as bad, but it was a lot shorter.

'What in the name of Merlin and Morgana is going on here?' demanded Remus.

Sirius and Jamie ignored her, and continued acting like a pair of grannies on Floo Powder.

Remus sighed and walked to the toilet. Everything was silent within. She knocked and there was no reply, so she walked in.

There was a loud splashing noise from the tub, and Remus shrieked in horror as some creature emerged from the depths of the tub to stare at her in confusion. 'Mordred's Grandmother!' she swore, backing away.

The creature, was wearing green swimming goggles, and a neon pink swimming cap. It staggered to its feet, and Remus saw that it was fully clothed, clad in a sequined and sparkly yellow dress, which was sodden, and sticking to the creature's slightly chubby belly.

It squinted at Remus, who was frozen, and tugged the goggles off. Remus heaved a sigh of relief as she saw it was not really a beast in the bathtub.

'Merlin's beard, Frankie!' she exclaimed. 'What on Earth are you doing?'

Frankie blinked around in confusion. 'Where am I?'

'The bathtub, silly!'

Frankie's odd dress dripped with water, the flares sticking out, making her look like a wilted Christmas tree.

'Oh,' she said, confusion lacing her tone. 'I suppose I was having a nap in the bath.'

'And what were you doing that for?' Remus asked sardonically, too tired to be dealing with this. Sirius and Jamie had gone silent, she noticed. 'With your clothes on?' she added.

Frankie frowned, trying to remember. 'Uhh...' Her face screwed up, then brightened as it came back to her. 'Oh, yes! Me and Mason were in the library, and we were casting these spells as a joke, and then we stole some of Madam Pince's Floo Powder to snort like Mason's cousin does. It's so fun!' 

She clapped her hands. Water ran off her in rivulets.

Remus pinched the bridge of her nose, and leaned against the sink for support. 'And I guess Mason is also under the effects of this experiment of yours?'

Frankie nodded. 'We both did it. He's gone to the dungeons to annoy some Slytherins.

Remus's eyes bugged open with shock. 'And you let him? Merlin knows what they'll do to him after the fight we had today. They're all most likely out for revenge!'

Frankie stood with her feet in the bath water, looking pathetic.

'Finite Incantantem,' Remus said, waving her wand, as she strode out of the bathroom. She didn't want to do it, but it seemed like they were all going to go on a rescue mission.

She quickly explained the situation to Jamie and Sirius, who sobered up immediately. Remus was surprised they didn't try to make a joke out of it, but they seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. Remus was sure some of the Seventh Years weren't past Unforgivables.

It was nearly past curfew, so the three of them snuck out speedily. Petra was no where to be found. Remus suspected she was stealing food from the kitchens. Jamie and Sirius didn't even bother asking about her.

They took the familiar route, darting out of sight at a Ravenclaw prefect gave them a disapproving look for being out so late, although he could not actually punish them for anything as it wasn't dark yet.

Remus led Sirius and James down the dark corridors in the dungeons. 

Sirius lit her wand. 'Lumos.'

'Where do you think the ruddy idiot's gone?' hissed Jamie. 

Remus shrugged. 'Dunno.' She strained her ears, hoping to hear something. 

A shrill squeal sounded in the cavernous stone lined corridor.

She turned around to Jamie and Sirius excitedly. 'Did you hear that?'

Jamie looked at Sirius oddly, and shook her head. 'Nope. What do you mean?'

'Never mind.' Remus beckoned at Sirius and Jamie to follow her silently, and they did. 

Once they rounded the corner, a shocking sight met their eyes. Lit by the eerie glow of a green lamp, were a circle of older Slytherins. They were sneering and grinning down at a huddled boy in the corner. 

Sirius tensed as she recognised many of the faces there from various family meetings and dinners.

A large girl bent over him. 'Lucky you're a Pureblood, eh? What to do with you...' She pointed her wand at him, thinking. It had to be Mason. Remus prepared for battle.

'Leave him alone!' 

Jamie's face paled as she recognised the voice. Alecto Carrow stepped aside to reveal a tall, red-haired boy, held tightly by an older, bulky boy.

His green eyes gleamed angrily in the dim light. 'There's only two of us, and we're only First Years! We've done nothing wrong. Let us go.'

Alecto paused for a moment, then turned to Lillian. 'Feisty for a little Mudblood, aren't ya? Was gonna go easy on McKinnon, can't say the same for you, love...'

She let out a mad cackle. The boy holding him let out a grunt as Lillian stamped on his foot. 'Watch it, Mudblood,' another boy growled.

The one holding Lillian grabbed a handful of shiny red hair, and tugged viciously. 

Lillian's eyes watered, and he shrieked in pain.

Jamie's breath caught. 'Vespertilio Espectro!' she roared, unable to watch helplessly any longer.

Alecto squawked as the boy holding Lillian shrieked like a pig, slapping at his face as bogies erupted from his nose, flapping around like bats.

Lillian took advantage of the disruption, and ran towards the caster of the hex, tugging Mason along. He fired a few more hexes over his shoulder to keep Alecto and her gang busy.

'We'll get you, Mudblood!' screamed Alecto, boils erupting over her face, as another girl fell on top of her, clouds of dust spewing from her mouth as she coughed.

'Nice one, Evans!' Jamie said admiringly as Lillian ran past.

'Potter?' asked Lillian, freezing instantly.

'Move!' Jamie panted.

Lillian sprinted after Jamie. Remus could hear the Slytherins catching up.

They had almost escaped the dungeons. If they got to the staircases, they would be safe. The Slytherins would not follow them there. 

Mason let out a shriek of pain as a hex hit him. His ankle snapped. It was most likely Dark magic.

A tall boy Sirius recognised as Antonin Dolohov caught up to them. He looked oddly reluctant, but he closed his fingers around Mason's collar. 

'Stay, or I hex him,' he said softly, his voice void of emotion.

Jamie swallowed. She nodded at the rest of them to indicate they should stop. It seemed that Dolohov was the only Slytherin coming, but he had them. Alecto was still screaming orders at him.

'Follow me if you want your friend to escape unscathed,' he warned coldly.

The Gryffindors began to follow him reluctantly. Remus whipped her head around as a door creaked open behind them. 

She jumped, recognising the ginger hair of Fabian Prewett. 

Dolohov turned around at the noise.

'Prewett!' he barked, looking strangely guilty. 'What in Salazar's name are you doing down here?'

Fabian eyed him coldly. 'I could ask the same of you, Dolohov.'

He gestured to Mason, whimpering and crying on the floor, nursing his ankle, and at the scared First Years clustered around him. He looked disappointed and disgusted.

Dolohov seemed lost for words. 'I - I-'

'I'll be taking them from here,' Fabian said coolly. 'Consider yourself lucky if I don't go to Dumbledore. Episkey.' Mason's ankle healed with a painful crack as Fabian incanted over it. Sirius winced in sympathy with Mason as a fresh wave of tears poured down his cheeks.

Fabian pointed his wand threateningly at Dolohov, although Dolohov made no move to stop him as he gathered up the first years, and led them from the dungeons. Dolohov's wand hung limply from his fingers as he watched the them go, ignoring Alecto's screams.


	18. Picnic In the Forest

'Shut up!' hissed Sirius to Petra. She stood by the door of the dimly lit dormitory, wincing as the hinges squealed in protest. Something would have to be done about that.

Petra stopped complaining about the hour, and stepped in line behind Sirius. Jamie shivered in her pyjamas. It was a chilly night. 

Sirius had planned a picnic for the four of them, on the Hogwarts grounds, as a treat for all the difficulties they'd gone through, lately.

During the day, it had seemed like a great idea, but now that they were all shivering in their onesies at one in the morning (Petra had cupcakes, Jamie had ducks, Remus had kittens, and Sirius had Snitches), Jamie was tempted to abandon the whole thing, and return to her cosy bed. 

Remus echoed this sentiment, letting out a massive yawn, whilst Petra tried unsuccessfully to unstick her eyelids from each other.

Sirius held out a finger for utter and complete silence, as she gingerly held out one pyjama clad toe, and put her foot down on the floorboard outside. She withdrew it quickly as it made a horrifying noise. There was no way they could go down the stairs and not get caught by one of the older girls in the dorms below.

'Drat!' She turned to Remus in horror. 'How in Merlin's name are we going to get downstairs?'

Remus shrugged. 'Side effects of having the top floor, I guess. Hush, or you'll wake Frankie,' she added, as Frankie let out a violent snort in her sleep, and turned to the side, muttering something.

Sirius looked over at Frankie, who was now snoring with her mouth wide open. A string of drool hung off her cheek. 'Yeah, I don't think we'll have to worry about that for a while.'

It was a good thing Petra had already stolen the food from the kitchens during the day, or they never would have gotten anywhere. Now they could simply sneak out onto the grounds, find a place to eat, and enjoy themselves. 

Remus wasn't looking forward to tomorrow morning, when none of them would be able to wake up on time. If they had Transfiguration, there was no way they could skive off, but perhaps if it were Charms, or Potions...

Jamie rolled her eyes, growing exasperated. 'Are we going or not? Get a move on!'

Sirius looked at her in annoyance. 'If you hadn't noticed, I'm trying!' Nevertheless, she turned back to finding a safe way down the stairs.

Inspiration struck Remus suddenly, like a lightning bolt. 'Oi! Sirius!' she whispered. 

Sirius bit her lip and looked at her questioningly, raising her eyebrows.

'You know how the stairs turn into a slide whenever a boy tries to come up?' she began hesitantly, not wanting to look like a fool if she were wrong. 'Well, what if we could get our pillows and somehow slide down?'

As Remus spoke, Sirius's eyes grew larger, and sparkled with mischief as she contemplated the possibilities. 'Brilliant!' she exclaimed. 'Excellent!'

Jamie ran forward and squeezed Remus 'round the middle in excitement. Remus squirmed uncomfortably, not liking the human contact, and patted Jamie's back to make her let go. 'I'm not sure what spell could do that, though.'

Sirius looked around the dormitory hopefully, as if she expected to find a member of the male species stashed away in one of the wardrobes. 'Anybody got any boys on hand?' she asked.

'Nope,' Remus replied, smirking, 'but I do have Hogwarts, A History.'

The other three girls waited impatiently as Remus rummaged through her suitcase, and finally pulled out her book. She flicked through the pages, until she found the correct one. 

'Aha!' she cheered triumphantly. 'Here it is. Lasses, get your pillows ready.

It was two minutes later, and all four girls were standing awkwardly by the spiraling staircase, each holding a fat pillow.

Remus swallowed nervously, and took the lead. She pushed her pillow to the edge of the first stair, and sat down on it. Sirius and Jamie did the same, on either side of her. Remus looked at them, trying to gauge whether there was enough space. Petra hung behind, deciding to let the others take the risk first.

'Glisseo!' incanted Remus, tapping the staircase.

The breath was jolted out of her as the stairs folded in to make a long, spiraling slide, and she, Jamie, and Sirius went whizzing down the stairs on their cushions.

Sirius could not help but let out a little whoop of joy as she slid past Jamie, giving her a rude gesture to mark her triumph over her. Remus glared at her reprimandingly. As she momentarily lost concentration, her pillow swerved unexpectedly, and she crashed into Jamie, who swung her legs out, and squawked loudly.

'Remus, what the bleeding hell are you doing?' she wailed, as they came to the end of the staircase, and tumbled to the Common Room floor in a bruised and groaning heap.

'Owwww,' Jamie complained, still sprawled on the floor at an awkward angle.

Remus winced as she flexed, jumping when she heard a rasping voice come from beneath her. 'Remussss,' rasped Sirius hoarsely, 'Can you please get the hell off of me? I can hardly breathe.'

Remus squirmed in surprise, and tried to jump up, but she was knocked down by Petra, who had finally decided to come down the stairs. Petra shrieked loudly, landing on top of all three of them, causing them to groan. She wasn't the lightest girl in Gryffindor.

When they had finally stood up, cracking their joints painfully, and stowing their cushions away, they decided it was time to go.

'We'll be lucky if the whole bleeding house didn't hear you coming down,' Jamie told Petra grumpily.

Remus cracked her neck. 'Dunno if I'll be doing that again,' she murmured.

They were all about to open the portrait hole, when Jamie heard a loud sniffle coming from the armchair by the fire.

'Oi! Who's there?' she called warily.

'Bugger off, Potter,' came the miserable and nasally tone. The owner of the voice blew their nose rather pathetically.

'Evans,' sighed Sirius.

She walked up to the armchair awkwardly. 'You alright, Evans?'

Lillian looked up at him with red eyes, his normally sleek red hair tousled and dull. His nose was buried in a knitted quilt, and the flickering light of the fire cast odd shadows upon his face, making him look lifeless. 'I won't grass on you to McGonagall, if that's what you're worried about,' he sniffed sourly. 'You can leave me alone now, and go about your rubbish business now.'

Sirius looked affronted. 'That's not why I came 'round Evans. I was just checking if you were okay.'

Jamie waited impatiently by the portrait hole. 'Come on, Sirius!' She rolled her eyes.

Lillian nodded stiffly. 'Well, thanks. You can go with Potter, now.'

Sirius stared at him awkwardly, not knowing what to do. 'We're going on a picnic on the grounds, do you want to come?' she blurted in one breath

Lillian gave Sirius a look that said she was crazy. 'What?'

Jamie looked appalled. 'He can't come with us! He's going to ruin all our fun, and lecture us on the rules!'

Remus elbowed Jamie painfully, and Petra shot her a reproachful look.

Sirius closed her eyes and pursed her lips at Jamie's brash outburst. 'Ignore Potter,' she said to Lillian. 'She's just being a prat. Come with us, have some fun, forget whatever Snivelly did to you. I think we all deserve a break. Come on,' she said persuasively, her big grey eyes pleading.

It was a mark of how betrayed Lillian felt by Severa that he didn't bother to rebuke Sirius for her use of the rude nickname. It was common knowledge that they hadn't been speaking. He studied her eyes, which held sincerity, and then shrugged. He hadn't much to lose. 'Alright,' he said tonelessly.

He tossed his blanket back onto the chair. Sirius stopped him. 'Ah. You might want to bring that with you. It's quite cold outside.

Lillian nodded and pulled it over his shoulders as he followed the four girls out of the Common Room, ignoring Jamie's protests.

The Fat Lady started as she saw them walk out. She crooked her finger reprimandingly at them as they left. 'You lot shouldn't be out this late,' she called.

Sirius rolled her eyes and made a face at the others, then turned to the Fat Lady with a charming smile. 'Please don't tell on us!' she begged. 'I promise we won't be long. It's just--' she sighed dramatically for effect, 'we've all been so stressed, and we need a break.'

Lillian nodded emphatically, knowing the Fat Lady had a soft spot for him.

She sighed reluctantly. 'Alright. I won't tell. But I'm changing the password!'

Sirius thanked her, and the five of them stole down the dark and silent corridors of Hogwarts, lit only by the light of Jamie's wand. Lillian had heard wild tales of chases between students and Filch, and was surprised when Filch was no where to be found. He half expected an attack from Peeves, the crazy poltergeist who lived to torment students.

The Great Hall was eerie in the half light, deserted and cold. Remus cracked open the door, like she had for her transformation before.

The rest filed out. Lillian shivered under his quilt. He was wearing a set of train pyjamas. He shot back a nasty reply about Jamie's duck onesies as she sneered at his. 

'Where to now?' asked Remus, anxious to settle down.

Sirius yawned hugely. 'I dunno. We haven't properly explored the grounds yet. I say we give it a go.'

'We're gonna have to find some place that we can't be spotted easily from the castle,' inputted Petra nervously.

The five of them trudged stoically for a quarter of an hour, Lillian and Jamie constantly arguing over spots to eat, until Remus lost her temper, and took charge of the operation.

'Look,' she said crossly, pointing. 'There's a nice spot. It's covered.'

They agreed it was a well hidden and clean spot. Sirius was prepared to sit down and eat, until she saw the Whomping Willow nearby. Remus's heart leapt into her throat as she realised her mistake. 

'Merlin's beard!' Sirius exclaimed. 'That tree is even more scary up close! Who dares me to touch it?'

She looked around expectantly. Jamie opened her mouth eagerly, but Lillian froze her with a stare. He exchanged looks with Remus, both communicating perfectly. The picnic spot shouldn't be within viewing distance of Remus's adrenaline junkies for roommates.

Remus's head spun slightly with the anxiety that they might discover her secret. She looked around for the first thing that might distract them from the Willow.

'I know exactly where we should eat!' Remus pointed into the depths of the Forbidden Forest. 'In there! Think of how exciting it will be,' she said, trying to make it sound tempting to Jamie and Sirius. 

It seemed to work instantly. Lillian gave Remus a dubious look, to check if she were in her right mind. 'It's called Forbidden for a reason, you know.'

Remus plastered on a fake smile that made her look as if she were caught in a sandstorm. 'We're Gryffindors. We'll survive.'

Sirius and Jamie bounded on cheerfully, leading the way.

The trees rustled oddly in the forest as if they were alive, and shivers ran down Remus's back as she wondered if this had been the best idea.

Clicking and heavy breathing seemed to emulate from every shadow, and every bush seemed home to a thousand glowing yellow eyes.

Lillian and Petra stumbled on unwillingly through thickets of trees and gnarly bushes, until Remus came to the realisation that they were completely and utterly lost.

'Stop. Who has an inkling of where in Merlin's name we are?' she demanded.

All of them stared at her blankly. 'No one? Okay, good.'

'This was your idea,' Petra reminded her.

Remus huffed.


	19. The Path of the Stars

Lillian shivered miserably. 'Well, I'm never coming on a two in the morning romp with you lot again,' he said bitterly.

Jamie's temper flared. She looked absurd in her duck pyjamas. 'No one forced you to come!'

Remus looked up. 'Actually, we sort of did.'

Jamie kicked a tree trunk, fuming. 

Remus froze as she heard a clip-clopping of hooves nearby. 'Shut up!' she hissed at everyone. Knowing this was the Forbidden Forest, Remus knew it could be anything. Their lives could be on the line, here.

Dumbledore had given her a thorough warning about the Forest, due to the fact that she would often have to leave the school, and roam the grounds at night. 

It was imperative that she made no mistakes, and kept her journey direct, to avoid any mishaps and accidents. Remus had flinched at this, knowing what Professor Dumbledore meant by "mishaps and accidents".

Jamie looked indignant, and opened her mouth to retort, oblivious to the threat, but Remus threw a piece of fallen bark at her.

Remus strained her ears towards the sound. She had the sharpest hearing, due to her Lycanthropy. It sounded like a second set of hooves. 

'Greetings, Bane,' came a first voice. 

Remus hoped it wasn't centaurs. They didn't take kindly to intruders on their land.

'Greetings, Basachus,' returned the other voice. 

They seemed to be coming from the other side of the bush. Petra looked petrified. Remus shoved Sirius aside, and discreetly made a hole in the shrubbery to peek through.

Her fears were confirmed, she saw, with a sinking heart. One was a black haired, dark coloured centaur, the other was a white haired, pale coated centaur, although his face was youthful. His blue eyes shone with wisdom beyond his years.

They stared at the sky for several long minutes. 'Trouble comes to Hogwarts,' Basachus murmured.

Bane nodded. 'The night star burns brightly tonight.'

'I fear for the foals,' Basachus said. His face creased with worry. 'Much darkness lies in their futures.'

Bane scowled at him. 'It is not our place to get involved in the lives of humans. The path of the stars is decided.'

'The future is not yet set,' Basachus argued. 'There is time yet to alter the course of destiny.'

'It is not our place,' repeated Bane. 'Fooling around with fate comes with larger consequences. It would be foolish to intervene. And we do not serve the humans. Come, let us go from this place. The fates are agitated.'

Basachus looked up at the stars blazing brightly overhead, and his face contorted in anguish. He shook his magnificent head, and began to follow Bane. 

Remus was about to heave a sigh of relief at their departure, worried and bewildered at the message as she was, when Petra clomped forwards clumsily, and tried to get a look. Remus slipped, and the bush between the two sides shook violently. She shot Petra a withering look, and cursed loudly inside her head.

Bane swiftly turned around, and drew his bow and arrow. 'Who goes there?' he demanded imperiously. 'Show yourself!'

Slowly, Remus emerged from the bush, dusting herself off. Leaves were stuck in her hair. She only hoped they wouldn't kill her. She held her hands up in surrender.

Still, Bane kept his arrow pointed at her. 'Who are you? Are you armed? Who is with you? Why are you trespassing on our land?' he asked suspiciously.

'Nobody,' Remus lied shakily. 'I'm alone.'

Bane sniffed the air. 'You lie, wolf,' he added viciously.

Remus did not know how he knew about her, and she hoped it had not registered with the others.

'We mean no harm,' she said desperately. 'We only came here for a picnic. We didn't mean to trespass. I'm sorry!'

Lillian, Sirius, Jamie, and finally Petra, all emerged from the bush.

Bane still hadn't lowered his bow. 

'Bane,' Basachus reminded gently, 'they're only foals.'

Bane shot him a look, but lowered his weapon grudgingly. 'You have no business here,' he boomed. 

'We're lost,' Sirius.

'I can return them,' Basachus offered quickly. 

'We do not serve the humans.'

'It would get them off our territory quicker,' the white centaur reasoned.

Bane's beady black eyes scanned them all. 'Very well. But we will not be so merciful next time,' he warned, slotting his bow back in his quiver with the arrow, making a thumping sound. 'Do not come back to this place.'

Remus nodded frantically, having no intention of doing so. 

Bane tossed his head, and cantered off.

Basachus sighed once he was gone. 'I'm sorry about that.'

Remus nodded. 

'It's not far from here. Follow me,' Basachus ordered.

It was a surprisingly short walk to the edge of the Forest on the Hogwarts grounds. They did not talk much. It seemed that centaurs weren't really the chatty type. Remus longed to ask the white centaur to elaborate on what he had predicted earlier, but she had lingering fear of him, due to Bane and his arrows. 

'Here I must leave you,' Basachus said, preparing to gallop off.

'Wait,' Remus said, finally gathering the courage. She couldn't believe she was giving a centaur orders. She was surprised that even such a nice centaur as Basachus didn't take offense. Her father had taught her that the centaurs were an ancient, proud, and dangerous race. But he had also believed she and her kind were all automatically monsters before she became a wolf. 'What did you mean by "Trouble comes to Hogwarts"?'

Basachus looked torn. Bane had ordered him not to help the humans, but so much anguish could be avoided if time could be rewritten...

Or everything could become a thousand times worse. Basachus swallowed. 'Not all is as it seems,' he said vaguely, leaving Remus to stew. 'Many dark forces are at work. Play your cards carefully. And that is all I can help you with. I hope you reach the castle safely.'

With that, he turned tail (literally), and galloped off into the forest.

Remus growled. 'Well, that was helpful.'

Sirius snorted. 'That's centaurs for you. Oh, and lovely choice of picnic place. Excellent.'

Lillian clutched his blanket around him. The others did not voice their opinions, or maybe it was because Jamie was busy sulking, but Remus was one hundred percent sure they echoed Sirius's sentiments.

They walked across the moonlit grounds, not caring who saw them, until they pushed open the doors of the Great Hall, and entered, with a sigh of relief. Remus was just glad Sirius hadn't persisted on seeing the Willow. It was unlike her.

Sirius led the frozen group past the House tables, and to the door. They made their way up the staircases, until they were in the Charms corridor. Sirius swore loudly when one of the suits of armor came to life, and started doing some horrible version of a tap dance. 'Merlin's balls,' she breathed in horror.

Sirius shrieked as a horrible little man materialised inches from her nose, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. His form was ghostly, and he was wearing a disgusting tie and a hat that he continously boasted he had won in 1876, through an attempt to oust him by caretaker Rancorous Carpe, who devised an elaborate trap, baited with an assortment of weapons he believed would be irresistible to Peeves, and a vast enchanted bell jar, reinforced by various Containment Charms, which he intended to drop over the poltergeist once he was in place. 

Not only did Peeves break easily through the giant bell jar, showering an entire corridor with broken glass, he also escaped the trap armed with several cutlasses, crossbows, a blunderbuss and a miniature cannon.

The castle was evacuated while Peeves amused himself by firing randomly out of the windows and threatening all and sundry with death.

A three-day standoff was ended when the Headmistress of the day, Eupraxia Mole, agreed to sign a contract allowing Peeves additional privileges, such as a once-weekly swim in the boys' toilets on the ground floor, first refusal on stale bread from the kitchen for throwing purposes, and a new hat – to be custom-made by Madame Bonhabille of Paris. 

Rancorous Carpe took early retirement for health reasons, and no subsequent attempt had ever been made to rid the castle of its most ill-disciplined inhabitant. Peeves tipped the hat graciously to Sirius.

'Peevesey should tell Filchy there's students out of bed, he should. It's part of Peevesey's duty as a good citizen of Hogwarts, it is,' he sang, bouncing from wall to wall.

Sirius looked desperate. 'Please don't. We're up to no good! That's what you like, isn't it?'

Peeves looked thoughful. 'Up to no good, you say? Peeves looooves it when we get up to no good. Solemnly swear it!' 

'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good!' exclaimed Sirius.

Peeves let out a shrill cackle of joy. 'Shhh!' Remus hissed.

'Loony, loopy, loony, Lupin! Gonna go loo-nar!' teased Peeves. 

Remus stared at him. It seemed as if everybody knew her secret tonight. She hoped Peeves kept his mouth shut.

Lillian shifted uncomfortably. 'Can we go now?' he asked Peeves.

Peeves grinned maliciously. 'Of course. But not without a little bit of fun before!'

Remus cursed. Peeves was stronger than most normal poltergeists. They weren't supposed to even have a form. But he had been around so long that he'd taken the shape of what his personality most closely resembled: a malicious little man. And he wasn't about to let them escape that easily. 

'STUDENTS!' he shrieked. 'STUDENTS OUT OF BED IN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR. CAUGHT THEM SNOGGING, I DID! COME AND GET THEM, FILCHY!'

Remus heard an outraged roar, as the old caretaker jogged to reach them, his demonic red eyed kitten at his heels.

All of them turned and ran. 

'I'll get you!' bellowed Filch. 'I'll get you, you see if I don't!'

Peeves watched the scene from above with great interest. 'FILTHY FILTHY FILCHY!' he boomed, throwing a vase or two at Filch's head.

Filch paused, torn between getting the students, or the opportunity to kick out the poltergeist whom he so loathed.

'RUN AWAY, MY YOUNG TROUBLEMAKERS!' Peeves cackled excitedly. 'RUN AWAY! PEEVESEY SAVED YOU FROM FILTHY FILCHY!'

'You got us into trouble in the first place!' Remus yelled as she ran.

Peeves cackled again, and continued his assault on Filch, charging at him with armor, and throwing more things at him.

Two floors up, Remus could still hear the battle raging on ferociously, Filch's shrieks of outrage, and the loud distraught yowling of Filch's satanic kitten, Mrs. Norris.

As they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Remus remembered that the password had changed and they hadn't bothered to find out what it was. 

The Fat Lady was not happy to be woken at this hour, nor was she amused by their attempts to wheedle the password out of her.

They would have been stuck there all night, or morning, rather, had it not been for Fabian Prewett sneaking out, looking rather guilty.

He looked at them in surprise. 'What are you lot doing out here?' 

'Could ask you the same,' Lillian returned.

Fabian narrowed his eyes. 'I do happen to be a Prefect -- won't tell if you don't,' he finished, changing his tone abruptly.

They shook on it, and the bunch of First Years entered the Common Room relievedly. It was good to be back in familiar territory after the eventful and rather stressful night they'd all had. All they'd really wanted was a quiet night out to cool off a bit, and escape for a while.

'Filch and Peeves are going at it by Charms!' Sirius warned Fabian. 

'Thanks, mate!' Fabian returned gratefully, as he darted out, slamming the portrait hole shut behind him.

Petra dumped the picnic basket on the floor. 'Who wants some food?'

All of them dove for refreshment eagerly, after the events of that evening, ravenous, although Remus tried to make sense of all she had heard, and all the wise old centaurs had said in the woods. Whatever it was, Remus just hoped that it didn't involve her or her friends.


	20. Legilimency

Severa flicked through her Potions notes, and added a few details to the essay she was preparing on the properties and benefits of Bubotuber Pus.

She chewed her quill. Lillian had been avoiding her since the day of the fight. Although Mulciber and Avery didn't know that Severa had hexed them, they still weren't keen on hanging out with her either. So Severa was stuck in her dormitory.

Leanne had charmed a scrunchie to fly about the dorm, and she and Lucinda hopped around like maniacs, trying to capture their 'Snitch'.

Severa tried to ignore them, until Lucinda Talkalot made quite the impressive leap, and landed splat bang right on Severa's drying homework.

She clasped her hands over her mouth. 'Oh, Merlin! I'm so sorry!' She knelt by Severa's work, and tried to clean up the smudged mess of ink up a bit.

Severa snatched it away from her protectively. She didn't want to offend Lucinda, as she was one of the decent Slytherins. 'It's fine,' she said gruffly. 'Don't. It's fine. I'll go fix it.'

She swept out of the dormitory, highly annoyed, but trying not to show it. Her robes flapped after her.

In the dorm, Leanne stared at Lucinda. 'What was that about? She had no business to be that rude. It was just an accident.'

Lucinda shrugged, looking just a bit hurt. 'It doesn't matter. She's odd anyway. Forget about her. Let's keep playing. They won't let us join the team this year, but we can smash them all next year.'

Leanne nodded enthusiastically, and made another mad leap for the flying scrunchie.

Severa felt the judging stares on her as she tried to stalk through the stone lined Common Room without being noticed. It was quite dim, most of the lighting coming from the green fire, and sunlight filtering through the glass and brass accented ceiling. It was quite murky, and gloomy, though.

It would be best to avoid the Seventh Years. It seemed that even Lucius had issues with her. She ducked behind an armchair as she heard Alecto whispering lowly to a crowd of older Slytherins in a corner.

'...the Dark Lord will eradicate the Mudbloods and Blood Traitor filth,' she heard Alecto hiss excitedly. 'I've been cheeked enough by Muggle filth this week. Won't get away with it again.'

Severa stiffened. She knew exactly which piece of 'Muggle filth' Alecto was speaking about, and she feared for him. 

And she knew of the Lord they were talking about, too. Her mother spoke often of the Dark Lord, and of his greatness.

Lucius placed a thin finger on his pale lips. 'Hush, Alecto. We are not alone.' He glanced meaningfully over at a couple of Second Years tussling by the fire.

Thornfinn Rowle shrugged. 'Shouldn't we recruit them to the Dark Lord's cause before we leave this filthy dung-hole? They're Slytherins, and their blood is as pure as ours.'

Lucius frowned. 'Don't be ridiculous. They're only Second Years. The Dark Lord only accepts those that are sixteen or above. A child's loyalty is easily bought, but also easily lost.'

A stocky boy called Crabbe made a face. 'It wouldna do no 'arm ter introduce the idea to 'em. The sooner them lot know 'ow things are runnin' 'round 'ere, the better.'

'Ruddy bunch of bullshitters,' Severa heard from the tall, pale boy called Antonin Dolohov.

Severa peeked over the armchair in surprise. None of the other Slytherins seemed to be replying to him.

'Don't know what they're messing with,' continued Dolohov. Severa's heart thumped as she realised his mouth wasn't moving, and she seemed to be the only one hearing him. Was she going mad? 

Perhaps all the rubbish that was going on with her Housemates had finally pushed her over the edge.

Narcissa cleared her throat delicately, as Andromeda Black, the Slytherin Headgirl entered the Common Room. She tapped Lucius's arm, and he fell silent.

It was her own sister, but Narcissa refused to acknowledge her as she waked through the Common Room, her head held high, ignoring the hostile stares she was receiving. It was a well known fact that Andromeda Black was the biggest Blood Traitor in Slytherin, and she was open about her liberal views on Muggles, dating a Ravenclaw Muggleborn named Ted Tonks. 

Severa admired her, and wished she had the courage to be like her. Even if Ted Tonks was an annoying idiot of a prankster.

She seized the opportunity to slip out of the Common Room unnoticed, whilst the other students were busy hating Andromeda.

There was an hour 'til dinner, so Severa went for a walk on the grounds, until it was time to go in.

She sat by herself at the table, worrying about what she had heard, and whether she was going crazy or not.

After swallowing her meal quickly, Severa walked to the other side of the Hall, to the Gryffindor table. She could feel Lucius's pale eyes upon her back, but she ignored it. 

'Lillian,' she said, standing behind the redhead. He was laughing at some joke Sirius Black told, whilst Jamie Potter snorted, shovelling mashed potatoes into her mouth messily.

Jamie's eyes narrowed behind her glasses, and she pinched her nose, elbowing Sirius.

Lillian stiffened at the sound of her voice, but did not turn around. 'What?' he asked coldly.

Jamie looked ecstatic at this response. She decided to push her luck. 'In case you were wondering what the smell was,' she said to Lillian, 'there's a big sack of Hippogriff dung standing behind you.'

'Oh, shut up, Potter,' Lillian mumbled, but his tone trembled with laughter, and Severa saw the side of his cheek rise, as if he were smiling. 'What is it that you want, Severa?' he asked tiredly.

Severa's throat grew dry. 'It's important. And it's private. It'll only take a few minutes.'

'I don't want to hear anything that you think is important,' Lillian sneered, his back still turned towards her, spearing a piece of chicken with his fork. Remus Lupin sat close to him, watching protectively.

'Please.'

Lillian finally turned to face her, his green eyes sparkling with annoyance. 'Anything you have to say, you can say right here.'

Jamie nodded self importantly. Sirius grinned at Severa around a mouthful of chewed Yorkshire Pudding, which she did not hesitate to show Severa.

Severa shivered in disgust. She played her final card. 'It's about you,' she begged. 'The Slytherins were talking about you. They're planning something. You need to know.'

This caught Lillian's attention. 'Alright,' he agreed. 'But make it quick.'

Severa and Lillian ignored the rude yell from Mulciber at the table.

McGonagall, who was walking by, heard, and assigned him detention for a month. Severa could not help but like her.

Once they were out the Hall, Lillian led Severa around the corner to a deserted corridor, and leaned against the wall. 'Talk.'

Severa quickly blurted out all she had heard. Lillian looked concerned. 'What's a Dark Lord? Is he that awful wizard who's been going around killing people?'

Severa nodded. 'And now I think the Seventh Years are targeting you.' She looked confused. 'Why though? I know they hate Muggleborns, but they don't normally target them specifically like this. Did you do something...?'

Lillian went red, thinking of the escapades he had been involved in lately. 'Nope,' he said.

Severa looked bemused. 'Maybe it's because they've seen you with me.'

Lillian sighed, not ready for this again. 'Look--' 

'No, no, that's not what I meant. I'm not saying it's your fault. I'm just trying to think of why.' She eyed Lillian, trying to gauge how he would react if she told him this. 'Also... lately, I've been hearing voices.'

Lillian looked at him flatly. 'Then I suggest you go get that checked out with Madam Pomfrey.'

Severa refrained from rolling her eyes. 'Not like that. Like -- I can hear other people's thoughts in my head.'

This captured Lillian's interest. 'Is that normal, in the Wizarding World? I can't hear any voices. Is there something wrong with me?'

Severa chuckled. 'I've just told you I can hear voices in my head, and you're worrying if there's something wrong with you?'

Lillian shrugged, abashed. 'I guess we could go to the library later.' 

Severa nodded eagerly. 'But we should go at night when there's no one around. It's probably best of no one knows about this for now.'

Lillian nodded reluctantly, not wanting to sneak out two nights in a row. He tried to stop thinking of the eventful evening last night, knowing that if Severa truly could hear people's thoughts, that she wouldn't be happy.

Severa shifted. 'I'd better return to the table, before this attracts any more unwanted attention to you.'

Lillian nodded, and they both went back to their tables, and they were both berated for their choice of companion.

Lillian shut Jamie and Sirius out, enough on his plate without them annoying him.

That night, Lillian snuck out of his dorm silently, as did Severa. Dolores Umbridge made an odd snarling noise with her mouth open, and Severa sprayed some of Moira's disgusting cherry perfume into her open maw, causing Dolores to snarfle and choke in her sleep.

As Severa slipped down the stairs in the dark, grateful they were stone, and then out of the Common Room, she didn't notice the pale, thin figure watching her from the armchair facing the fire.

The plan was to meet Lillian outside the Hospital Wing, where she could argue she was feeling ill if she was caught. He was waiting, his hair gleaming in the flickering candle light. Severa's heart was in her mouth.

'Let's go,' Lillian whispered, leading the way. 

Severa was grateful they didn't encounter Peeves or Filch. That would have been disastrous. And that kitten of his was truly terrifying.

The library doors were locked. 'Alohomora,' whispered Lillian, and they swung open with a click. 'You'd think that in a school of magic, they'd come up with better locks,' he added conversationally.

Severa nodded. 'Where do you think we should start looking?'

Lillian chewed his lip. 'I'd say Magical Abilities, or Restricted Section. But I've heard that there are terrible things in those books, and that you can die by even looking at one. Alex told me his aunt deals with stuff like this, and there was one book that turns you to stone if you open at it.' He looked fascinated.

'Imagine having this stuff in a school. In the Muggle world, this school would have been shut down a long time ago.' Lillian pursed his lips, looking Severa in the eye. 'Honestly, this school is a mess.'

Severa shrugged. 'I'll take Restricted, you take Magical Abilities.'

Lillian looked like he was going to argue, but Severa walked off quickly.

The temperature seemed to drop as she walked into the Restricted Section. She read a few of the titles of the tattered books upon the shelves. 'Magicke Moste Evil,' she murmured. After opening the book, and having a quick flick through, she felt sick to the stomach. It was a good thing that these books weren't available to the rest of the Slytherins, or they'd all most likely be mangled piles of inside out meat, with extra limbs and appendages to boot. 

That didn't stop her from scribbling down one of the less horrifying hexes or two on her palm. She placed it back on the shelf, and shuddered as a book tried to leap out the shelf at her and snap at her. 

Had it not been chained in place, it would have eaten her. Severa did not even want to think about the horrors that book contained, if even Dumbledore had seen fit to chain it shut. The old man seemed to get off on leaving the children under his care vulnerable to all sorts of deadly magic and situations.

Severa was beginning to despair of ever finding a book on what she needed. She went through the last shelf, no longer bothering with other books, no matter how interesting, until she spotted The Art of Legilimency. Slughorn had mentioned it once in his lesson, presenting it as a more acceptable method to extract the truth than Veritaserum. 

She tucked it under her arm, her heart leaping, and she dashed to find Lillian. 'Look!' she whispered excitedly. Lillian, who had dozed off with a book open in front of him, jerked awake immediately.

'Oh, goody,' he slurred tiredly. 'Does this mean I can go back to bed now?'

'Why don't we go through a few pages first, just so that we know what it is, roughly?' Severa suggested.

She flicked it open. 'Legilimency is a spell that allows the caster to see into another's mind. Some are born with the ability, but for most, it is an acquired skill. It is possible to defend one's self against such attacks by mastering the art of Occlumency: see Occlumency and Other Things by Bertha Brompton.'

Severa looked at Lillian excitedly, but he had already dozed off, leaning on her shoudler. It wasn't even that late. She wondered what it was that he had done lately, that he was so tired.


	21. The Broken Boy He Loved

Sirius whimpered and kicked in her sheets. 'No, no, no, stop...' she mumbled, sleep slurring her words. 'Stop it, stop it, stop it. LEAVE HIM ALONE!' 

Jamie lurched awake with a jolt, and watched Sirius writhe and whimper in her sleep. She walked over to her bed, and sat down, placing a cautious hand on Sirius's shoudler. 'Sirius,' she whispered, shaking her gently. 'Sirius, wake up. Sirius. Sirius!'

Sirius sat upright, her shirt soaked, her hair a sweaty mess, and her face stained with tears. She slapped Jamie's hand aside with an expression of fear on her face, then she sighed with relief as she recognised her friend.

'Potter. What are you doing here?' she asked, trying to smooth back her hair, and appear cool and composed.

Jamie looked at her with pity. 'It's alright. You don't have to pretend you haven't been crying, or anything,' she said awkwardly. ' I can see you're not alright. Do you want to talk about it?'

Sirius shook her head adamantly. Jamie sighed, and took her hand. 'You know, when I have a bad dream, my mum and dad take me downstairs, and they make me hot chocolate or tea, and we talk about it. Come on.'

She hauled Sirius to her feet, and Sirius swiped at her eyes roughly, staggering after Jamie. By now, they were used to the usual way of going down the stairs. 

'Glisseo,' whispered Jamie, as the two of them whizzed down with practised ease.

She pulled Sirius to the two chairs in front of the fire, which cast a comfy glow over the cozy common room. A couple stars shone in through the window.

They both sat down, and sat in silence for a bit, whilst Sirius calmed down.

'I dunno how to get you a hot chocolate, but I suppose I can try to make you some tea,' Jamie offered.

'The House-Elves,' sniffled Sirius. 'They'll come if you call them.'

Jamie looked surprised. 'Do you have a House-Elf?'

'Of course I do,' snapped Sirius. 'My family is one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.'

'Oh.' Jamie cleared her throat awkwardly. 'Umm... Excuse me, House-Elves. Hello? Hello?'

Sirius sniffed and rolled her eyes. She snapped her fingers sharply. 'House-Elves!' she said imperiously.

Almost immediately, a small elf appeared before them, blinking sleepily. 'Yes, Misses?' he asked politely.

'Look! You woke him up from his sleep!' Jamie whispered to Sirius. She turned to the Elf. 'I'm so sorry, excuse me, but could we please have two hot chocolates? I'm so sorry to wake you.'

On the contrary, the Elf looked delighted. 'No problem, Misses! No need to apologise! Twiggy will be back immediately!'

He snapped his fingers, and true to his word, Apparated and Disapparated with two hot chocolates within seconds.

Jamie looked impressed. 'Wow! Thanks.' She took the two steaming mugs, which had marshmallows in them, and passed one to Sirius.

Twiggy bowed to them, and left.

The two girls sat sipping their hot chocolate in silence. 

'So, what was the dream about?' Jamie asked, once it felt safer.

Sirius shrugged. 'Just a fight I got into with my mother. You know, about what she did to the Muggle boy.'

'Do you wanna tell me more about it?'

'No,' answered Sirius shortly, and they both sat there, sipping their drinks, until Sirius fell asleep, her empty mug fallen onto the hearth rug.

Jamie sat by herself in silence for a while, contemplating the fire, and how lucky she was to have parents like hers, who doted on her and gave her all she wanted.

Jamie's eyes were beginning to close, the heat of the fire warming her deliciously...

Her eyes snapped open as she heard somebody creeping down the stairs from the boy's dormitory. She crouched low in her armchair, hoping whoever was creeping through the Common Room wouldn't spot the sprawled form of Sirius.

As the creeper opened the portrait hole, Jamie peeked over the corner of the armchair, spotting the gleam of fire on a mane of deep red hair. What in Merlin's name was Evans doing out at this time of night? 

Jamie decided to follow him. She half expected him to go meet Snape in the dungeons, or go to the library, but instead, he met up with Snape outside the Hospital Wing. She held back a derisive snort as she watched cautiously from behind a pillar.

They seemed to be mumbling together. What they were mumbling about, she could not tell. She followed behind at a cautious distance as they broke into the library.

It appeared they were looking for some book. Severa decided to go into the Restricted Section. No doubt to find some dark and illegal hexes. Jamie sneered as she watched Severa scribble down a spell on her palm. Some of the books were snapping and chained.

She soon grew bored of watching Snivella be a greasy git, and she slipped into the section next to Lillian's so that she could see what he was doing through the gaps in the shelves.

Lillian had opened a book, and was beginning to doze off. He snapped awake as Severa came running up to him, a thick book in her arms.

'Oh, goody,' Lillian slurred tiredly. No doubt he was still exhausted from yesterday. 'Does this mean I can go back to bed now?'

'Why don't we go through a few pages first, just so that we know what it is, roughly?' Severa suggested.

She flicked it open. 'Legilimency is a spell that allows the caster to see into another's mind. Some are born with the ability, but for most, it is an acquired skill. It is possible to defend one's self against such attacks by mastering the art of Occlumency: see Occlumency and Other Things by Bertha Brompton.'

Jamie frowned. What was Snivelly interested in Legilimency for? She didn't like the idea of Snape poking around in her brains.

As Lillian and Severa finished talking, and prepared to leave, Jamie fled swiftly, her mind agog.

'Oi!' Jamie woke up to Petra shaking her vigorously. She swatted her away. 

'Buggermm mmooff,' she said, her words merging together.

Petra persisted. 'Oi! Where's Sirius? And you've got to wake up! We're gonna be late!'

Jamie sat upright at the mention of Sirius's name. 'She's not here?'

She slapped her hand to her forehead. She'd forgotten to haul Sirius upstairs after last night.

She ran to the stairs in her pyjamas, and performed the charm upon the stairs without checking to see if anyone else was on the stairs. 

'Glisseo!' she whooped, as she slid down. There was a shrill scream as another girl who had been descending the stairs, slipped down headfirst, and landed in a heap at the bottom. 

'Blast you!' she shrieked, as Jamie landed on top of her. 

'Sorry!' Jamie called, as she ran forward to shake Sirius awake.

'Sirius!' she said urgently. 'You've got to wake up. And there's something I need to tell you!'

It took a while, but she finally dragged Sirus upstairs, and told her and Remus about what she'd learnt last night.

Remus, although occasionally distant, looked interested. 'I wonder what Snape wants with Legilimency?' she mused.

Sirius snorted. 'Probably to go serve her precious bleedin' Dark Lord.'

Petra looked frightened.

At breakfast, Jamie watched Lillian closely. His eyes drooped, and his head bent into his porridge more than once.

He actually did drop off in Transfiguration.

Jamie scrumpled up a ball of paper, and tossed it at Lillian. He didn't stir. Jamie did it again, hoping to wake him before McGonagall turned around from her explanation on Gamp's Fifth Law. He threw another. It missed it's mark, and landed at McGonagall's feet. 

She froze where she stood, and turned around. The ball flew into her hand. 'Who threw this?' she asked sharply. 

Her eyes landed on Jamie, who grimaced apologetically. She looked at the other paper balls on the floor, around Lillian, who let out a little snore. 'I presume you were trying to wake up Mr. Evans?'

Jamie nodded.

She walked up to Lillian's desk, and tapped his shoulder. Lillian flew awake with a gasp. He gaped in horror as he realised what he'd done.

'Professor McGonagall! I'm so sorry,' he said, flustered. 'I'm so sorry, it won't happen again and you can give me a detention--'

Professor McGonagall looked at the dark circles around his eyes, and pursed her lips. 'There will be no detentions for today, except perhaps for Potter.' Jamie groaned. 'I strongly recommend you get a good nap later on in the day.'

She carried on teaching. It seemed that the late night he'd had was not the only trouble Lillian had. His eyes carried a sort of misery, and Sirius's sharp eyes noticed that his fingers often ghosted towards his pocket, where the letter he'd received at breakfast was stowed.

After class, Lillian stopped Sirius nervously. 'Do you mind if I talk to you for a couple minutes?'

Sirius looked at him oddly. 'Sure, no problem.'

She waved at Jamie and Petra, who had waited behind, to move on.

Jamie frowned, but ushered Petra along with her to the next class.

'Okay, so what did you want to talk about?'

Lillian chewed his lip nervously. 'You have issues with your sister, right?'

Sirius stiffened immediately. 'What about it? And how do you know about my sister?'

'You're a Black. People talk. I'm just wondering how you deal with it. I mean... do you have some coping mechanism or...?'

Sirius smiled crookedly. 'I don't. I just push all my feelings away, and pretend she doesn't exist.'

Lillian stared at him. 'Well, that's no way to--'

'Well, it's my way,' Sirius said shortly.

'You seem so put together, though!'

'Like I said, Evans, I bottle it all up. Probably best if you didn't do the same. My parents don't even talk to me. They hate me. They've tortured my friends.'

Lillian looked deflated, and horrified. He'd been hoping for some sort of cure, or miraculous advice from Sirius. 'Oh -- ugh! It's all just so messed up. I can't even deal with this.' He flapped the letter around.

Sirius seized it, and opened it quickly. Lillian tried to seize it back, but Sirius was quicker than him. 

Freak, it read.  
Bugger off. Stop writing to me. You're making yourself look like a fool. I don't want you writing to me. I don't want to write to you. It's bad enough that I have to see Mummy and Daddy get letters from your freakish birds, from your freakish school, than to receive them myself. Go be a freak on your own, I don't want to deal with it.

Sirius's eyes widened as she finished it. 'Ouch,' she murmured. 

Lillian's eyes filled with tears. 'Sorry to bother you with my freakish problems, I'll just go,' he said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

Sirius stopped him, and pulled him into an awkward hug.

Lillian froze, and hugged him back. 'I'm sorry you have to deal with those problems as well. I feel like such a ninny now.'

'Don't. My problems don't make yours any smaller. I just wish I'd received at least one letter from my sister, at least.'

Lillian smiled waterily. 'Come on, we're going to be late for next lesson.'

Lillian sat in the Common Room, worrying about the letter from Patrick, Severa, and the threat from the Dark Lord. He didn't really know what the Dark Lord's agenda was. 

He looked over at Fabian Prewett, who was humming, and scribbling out an overdue essay.

'Fabian?' 

'Mmhm?' 

'What exactly is Voldemort after?'

Fabian's head snapped up. His eyes were dark, and 360° change from his previous relaxed mood. 'What is Voldemort after?' he repeated, breathing heavily. 'What is Voldemort after? To ruin and destroy any goodness and light left in this world, to kill anyone who dares to stand in his path.'

Lillian nodded nervously. 'Well, I heard that some of the Seventh Years Slytherins were getting involved in some of that rubbish.'

Fabian stowed away his essay, and leaned forward with interest. 'Oh?'

'Yeah, I heard that Rowle, Malfoy, Carrow, Black, Dolohov, and some others were planning to join the Dark Lord, or maybe are even with him.'

Fabian looked surprised. 'Dolohov? Black? Andromeda Black? The Headgirl? She's a friend of mine, and rather decent.'

Lillian shook his head hastily. 'Nope, Narcissa, her sister.'

'Ah.' An expression of concern crossed over his face. 'But you're sure about Dolohov? Antonin Dolohov?' he pressed. 'No other Dolohov?'

'There aren't any!'

Fabian nodded tightly, and packed his things away. 'I'm going for a walk,' he announced, before opening the Portrait Hole and leaving.

Fabian headed straight for the dungeons. It was after curfew, but he was a Prefect. Although most Gryffindors didn't stray into Slytherin territory, he was technically allowed.

But Fabian didn't patrol the corridors. Instead, he headed to the Slytherin corridor, and then another, and another...

The walls were shiny green-black marble, reminiscent of the Ministry of Magic. Fabian swiftly looked the corridor up and down to ensure it was empty, and then tapped the bricks in the wall in a certain order...

The portion of the wall swung away, like in Diagon Alley, and Fabian stepped into the passage inside. The wall rebuilt behind him. 

A tall, pale boy, with dark brown hair was crouched in the corner, sniffling. He would have been handsome, if it weren't for the dark circles around his eyes, and the redness of his complexion due to crying.

'Antonin,' Fabian said, his voice void of emotion.

Antonin looked up miserably. 'Fabian?' 

Fabian did not reply immediately. He just regarded the older boy with an expression of disgust.

'I've heard things about you,' he said. 'Things I don't want to believe. I really, really, don't want to believe them.'

He knelt down, and seized Antonin's narrow face in his hands. 'Tell me I'm wrong.'

Dolohov averted his dark eyes from Fabian's lighter ones. 

'Merlin, Dolohov!' Fabian exclaimed, standing up. 'Answer me, for Merlin's sake. For mine,' he added, his tone pleading.

Dolohov sniffed, and extended his arm. In the small space, lined with the black marble stone, and lit by Fabian's wand only, he looked dead already. Maybe he was, in a way.

Fabian took a shaky breath, dreading what he would see if he pulled back the boy's sleeve. He reached forward gingerly, and in one swift motion, he pulled it back.

There, on the boy's arm, writhed the Dark Mark, black and red, and livid and stark against the pale, aristocratic skin.

Fabian looked at him, his expression a mixture of anguish and betrayal. 'Why?' was all he could ask.

Dolohov laughed, and the sound rattled in his chest. 'We're not together, any more, Prewett. You can't dictate how I live my life.'

Fabian looked pained. 'But... this isn't you. You're not like this. This -- mark -- it doesn't make you who you are. And it was your decision that we should make our own separate ways.'

Dolohov chuckled that horrible laugh again, and shook his head. 'Desideria,' was all he said.

Fabian paled. 'So that's --'

Antonin choked. 'The Dark Lord already hates her for being a Squib, and he's threatened to kill her if I don't join, or if I tell anyone. He's going to kill my sister. Please don't tell anyone,' he begged, through the tears that had begun to flow thickly and freely.

Fabian's wand dropped to the floor, as he stared straight ahead in shock, and knelt down beside the weeping boy.

He pulled Antonin's head to his shoulder, his mind reeling with the revelations of the night. 

'Nox,' he whispered, and the light went out, as he pressed his lips to the lips of the broken boy he loved.


	22. Dissendium

Sirius snickered and elbowed Jamie as they sat in a greenhouse which Professor Sprout had magically dimmed. 'What lovely earmuffs you've got there,' she said, in a posh, affected accent.

Jamie smirked. 'Well, they are rather fabulous if I do say so myself,' she said, in a rather poor imitation of the voice that came to Sirius so easily.

'What's stomata?' Sirius asked, as Jamie frowned at her bad impression. 'Guess it's just not mint to be.'

'I can't dill with you two right now,' snapped Remus, trying to hear Sprout's droning through the commotion.

Sirius grinned. 'That was a blooming good pun, and I'm rooting for you.'

Remus sighed, but smiled internally. 'Oh, leaf me alone, you.'

A tendril of Devil's Snare snaked it's way over Petra's shoulder, and Petra squeaked, as Remus warded it off with a sharp burst of light.

'Thanks,' Petra shivered. 

Jamie and Sirius were both posing in their fluffy pink ear muffs, and were sucking their cheeks in and puckering their lips to look like models in magazines.

Remus rolled her eyes. 

A few tables down, Lillian was chatting to an enthusiastic Hufflepuff, who seemed all too enthralled with Lillian's green eyes and deep coloured hair. Remus turned away quickly, hoping not to bring Jamie's attention to it. If she noticed, all hell would break loose.

Sirius saw Remus looking, and a sort of exchange went through their eyes. Sirius nodded meaningfully at her, and redoubled her efforts in being stupid and distracting her.

Sirius was surprised Professor Sprout did not catch them and take away points, but she seemed engaged with Greta Catchlove's intrepid questioning.

She cast repeated glances out of the corner of her eye at Joanne Podmore and Lillian. Joanne was shyly tucking long strands of her light brown hair behind her ear. Sirius heard her invite Lillian to hang out with her sometime. 

Lillian smiled at her. 'Of course.' He thought Joanne was a rather nice girl -- funny, cheerful, and bubbly. He wouldn't mind being friends with her. Merlin knew he needed friends. And it would be good to have connections in other houses as well.

Frankie snorted indelicately as she saw Joanne purposely touch Lillian's hand. 'Would you look at that?' she whispered, mud striped across her cheek. Sirius hoped it wasn't Mooncalf Dung. 

She closed her eyes with dread as Jamie turned to look. Remus did the same.

'What?' asked Jamie, before falling silent at what she saw.

Her face darkened. 'What's that Hufflepuff doing with him?' she said venomously, spitting out the word Hufflepuff like it was more poisonous than the Devil's Snare.

Sirius quickly tried to get her attention back with more dumb puns, but it took a while before Jamie would stop glaring at Joanne so fiercely that Sirius was surprised poor Joanne couldn't feel it. Even then, Jamie's eyes kept drifting towards the two of them.

When the lesson was over, and the First Year Gryffindor and Hufflepuffs were packing their bags and filing out, Jamie knocked Lillian's book out of his hand in purpose.

'Oi!' exclaimed Lillian indignantly. 

As they both bent down to pick it up, and their heads met in the middle, Jamie whispered, 'No need to keep extending more -- uh, olive branches to other houses, love.'

She looked meaningfully at Joanne, who was waving to Lillian from the door. 

Lillian looked confused, then his face flushed red with anger as he retrieved the book and shoved it deep in his bag. 'Don't try to dictate my life, Potter, you absolute toerag. Keep your own fat nose in your own business, and I'll do the same. And don't call me love!'

'Your girlfriend Snivella is the one with the fat nose, and she won't be happy to learn you've been cheating on her. I'm just making sure you know the inportance of House loyalty. Love,' she added sneeringly.

'Severa isn't my girlfriend!' Lillian said angrily. 'And don't you dare lecture me on House loyalty, with the amount of points you and your silly little friends lose.'

'At least I have friends,' Jamie remarked snidely.

Remus closed her eyes for a moment, and then seized Jamie's arm, and pulled her away before she could do any more damage. She shot Lillian a look of apology, but Lillian was staring after Jamie murderously, face redder than his hair, his stance defensive.

Sirius strolled alongside them, smirking, as Petra hurried to keep up. Sirius fanned herself, and pretended to snooze. 'Somebody got territorial back there.'

Jamie narrowed her eyes, but ignored her. 

Sirius slung her arm around Jamie's shoulders so that she could get close to her ear. 'I don't blame you, honestly. Even Podmore sees what you see in him.'

Jamie turned on Sirius furiously, shaking her arm off her shoulders angrily. 'I don't see anything in him, okay? And I'm definitely not territorial! Am I, Remus?'

Remus froze on the spot, looking terrified. On one hand, she was dreading losing one of her only friends, and on the other, she wanted to be honest with her friend like she should. 'Uhh...' was all she said.

Jamie looked infuriated. Her fists curled up into balls. 'Fine! Bugger all of you!' She stomped off, several things dropping from her bag. Petra scurried after her, casting apologetic looks at Sirius and Remus. Remus bent down wearily and picked up Jamie's fallen stationary.

'Sod off, you prat!' Sirius bellowed after Jamie, flipping her the bird. She looked at Remus picking up Jamie's stuff. She said sourly, 'Don't bother. Ruddy tosser can pick up her own rubbish.'

At lunch, it was as if Sirius and Jamie had gone through a divorce. Jamie had Petra, and sat with Frankie, whilst Sirius had Remus (who was still being awkward with her), and the Gryffindor boys.

Remus tried to go over and speak to Jamie, to Sirius's disapproval, but it was to no avail. Jamie was almost as stony with her as she was with Sirius, viewing her sitting with Sirius as a betrayal.

After half an hour of Jamie shooting poisonous looks at them, it was time to go to class. They had History of Magic, and Remus wasn't ready for an hour of Binns droning on and on lethargically. 

'Sod this!' she exclaimed dramatically.

Sirius looked at her, surprised at this sudden and uncharacteristic outburst. Remus grabbed Sirius's hand, and tugged her out of the Great Hall.

Sirius was dragged unwillingly. 'Oi!' she called. 'Where are we going?'

Remus moved on doggedly, her eyes narrowed with determination. 'I'm sick of Jamie, I'm sick of lessons, and I'm definitely not going to listen to Binns moaning about Goblins and Wizarding Wars for another eternity!'

Sirius grinned, liking where this was going. She trotted to Remus's side more willingly, still holding her hand. 'Going to skive off History of Magic, are we?'

Remus nodded, feeling Jamie's gaze on her back as the two of them left the noisy Hall, as plates clattered and students chattered away.

Remus heard Sirius snort as Dumbledore did a silly little dance by the podium, making an odd gesture with his arms cast over his eyes when he was finished, and McGonagall covered her eyes and groaned. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as Sirius whistled, and nodded admiringly.

As they walked on the grounds, Remus sought out a quiet place to sit, but not near the forest. She shuddered, remembering the incidents of not long ago. None of them had really spoken of it yet; they would have to do so soon. 

She and Sirius roamed the grounds. Remus had decided that she was still wary of Sirius, and of the questions she might ask, but that at the end of the day, Sirius was highly unlikely to come to the correct answer, and she was a good friend anyway. Remus trusted her to some extent, although nothing like with the secret of her condition.

They'd been walking for a while now, Sirius had been ranting about Jamie and Lillian and how jealous Jamie was and how Jamie had really been getting on her nerves lately, and Remus had listened, silently agreeing with some of it, and inwardly rolling her eyes at how overly dramatic the rest of it was. 

Outwardly, she muttered assent, nodded, and sighed sympathetically when time called for it. She and Sirius had unknowingly made their way round to the lakeside, where they'd had the duel, and where Jamie had hexed Lillian and Severa into the water a few weeks ago. 

Remus walked closer to the shore, her hands shoved deeply in her pockets as Sirius waved her hands about expressively and eloquently speaking furiously. Remus hunched her thin back against the cold wind that was blowing off the lake from the dreary sky, despite it barely being October, when she Sirius froze beside her. 

She looked up at Sirius to see what the disturbance had been. Sirius's sharp features had contorted into the arrogant and cold patented Black sneer. Her grey eyes were flat and piercing, as Remus followed her stormy gaze to the wide spread roots of an ancient tree by the lake.

Jamie was lounging by the mud at the roots, one leg folded, the other stretched out, as she scowled back at Sirus. She tilted her chin up arrogantly, as she released a Snitch she'd stolen from her palm, let it fly a good way away, and caught it again with ease. Remus saw a surge of annoyance go through Sirius as she took in Jamie's rumpled robes, her crooked glasses, and the way her hair stuck up annoyingly at the back. 

Sirius hand went to her pocket, and she clasped at her wand. 'POTTER!' she barked.

Jamie looked surprised, but she too pointed her wand at Sirius. 'Black.'

Remus darted forward in alarm, and clutched at Sirius's wand arm to pull it down. 'Stop,' she begged. 'You're only going to hurt each other and get in trouble.'

Sirius kept her eyes trained on Jamie as Jamie stuffed the Snitch away, and scrambled to her feet. 'It might just be worth it this time.' She shook Remus off roughly.

Remus turned to Jamie, exasperated, although she expected to have no better luck with her either. She stood in between both of them, blocking the way. 'Why are you even fighting? This is so bloody idiotic! Look at you two, fighting, and being ruddy cave trolls!'

Sirius took a step back to take a look at herself in the reflection of the lake, fixing her hair. She looked at Remus offendedly.

'I don't mean the way you look, you bleedin' dugbog,' Remus sighed. 'All I'm saying is, you better stop over-reacting, Jamie, and Sirius, stop being so bloody dramatic. You don't have to pull out your wand for every single little thing. You are a witch, not a baboon brandishing a stick,' she said slowly.

Jamie grudgingly took a step towards Sirius, and held out her hand for Sirius to shake. Sirius stared at it suspiciously, then stepped forward to take it.

Remus heaved a sigh of relief now they'd made up. 'I think, seeing as we've all made up, and gone and ruddy bunked class, we might as well have some fun. Anyone got any ideas?'

She regretted asking immediately, and felt her heart sink as her suggestion was met with two evil, identical grins.

Remus pinched her nose as she waded in metre deep piles of dirty Slytherin laundry. 'Girls,' she sighed. 'Why are we doing this again?'

Sirius looked at her mischievously. 'It was your idea.' She had a dirty pair of socks hanging from her ears, and she was waist high in dirty undergarments. 

'This was not what I ruddy well meant!'

Jamie cleared her throat to regain their attention. 'Mutatio Rosea!' she announced confidently, waving her wand at a large pile of clothing. It all went a horrible, neon, shade of pink. She looked at the other two expectantly. 'Well? What are you waiting for?'

Remus sighed as Sirius promptly got to work, giving Remus an encouraging grin. Remus gave in, and tapped a large, smelly pile of Slytherin clothes, muttering the incantation, and then she tapped another, wading through dirty clothes, as the laundry room steadily became less and less black and green, and more and more pink...

Soon, Sirius stood over the last pile of uncoloured laundry, holding out her wand with the air of crowning a monarch. 'Mutatio -- Rosea!' she drawled dramatically, punctuating the words with long pauses.

The slow grin that had been building on Jamie's face was wiped off immediately at the sound of the cold voice behind them. 

'Well, well, well. I was wondering when I would see you again, cousin,' came the low, cold voice of Lucius Malfoy.

Sirius spun around to see Lucius's icy gaze sparkling with cool delight as he caught all of them in the act.

'Merlin's baggy y-fronts,' swore Sirius, as she shook a pair from her head.

It was all over the castle within hours. Black, Potter, and Lupin were practically celebrities in Gryffindor Tower, even though they still hadn't returned from their detention with Lucius Malfoy.

Although many of the Slytherins weren't so desperate for clothes that they had to wear all pink, most of them had to wear at least one pink article of clothing, and this cracked all the Gryffindors up, including Lillian, much to his dismay. Even the sight of Severa with a hot pink skirt and stockings could not stop him from giggling.

Fabian chuckled with pride, wiping his eyes nostalgically. 'At least I know that when I graduate, my legacy will carry on. Now I'm a Prefect, I have to be good,' he winked.

Olivia scowled at him, and he elbowed her lightly. 'Loosen up, Olive! You were even worse than me, back in Third Year.'

One Gryffindor who was not laughing, however was Petra. She pushed her peas around her plate, and slurped down her Pumpkin Juice moodily, as she thought about all the fun the others had had without her.

Frankie noticed, and elbowed her clumsily, knocking her cup over. 'Cheer up! I'm sure they'll get you next time. Merlin knows, you lot act like I don't exist,' said Frankie jovially, elbowing her again.

For some reason, this didn't make her feel better.

It was after dinner, that Olivia Barnsworth took her aside, and asked what was wrong.

When Petra told her, Olivia bit her lip, and looked over Petra calculatingly. Finally, she grabbed her hand, and pulled Petra after her as she ascended a few flights of stairs, until they were on the third floor.

Olivia led her up to a statue of an ugly old witch with warts on her nose, that Petra had walked past many times, without more than a shudder at its hideousness.

Olivia tapped the hump with her wand. 'Dissendium,' she said, clearly.

Petra gaped, as the hump swung away, revealing a dark passage hole.

'Climb on in,' Olivia grinned, with the air of someone who was doing her a huge favour. 'There's a lever on the inside, for when you want to come out, and it's best if you light your wand.'

Petra did as she said. 'How did you know about this?' she asked nervously, lowering herself into the tunnel.

Olivia looked from side to side shiftily. 'I wasn't always the -- err -- upstanding citizen that I am today.'

Petra swallowed as the hump closed behind her. In front of her, was a long, winding, dark tunnel, full of bugs and spider webs, lit only by her wand. She had no idea where she was going. 

She jumped as a bug fell from the ceiling and skittered at her neck. Staring ahead into the gloom, she gathered all of her Gryffindor courage, and embarked on the journey.


	23. Lupin's Lie

Sirius's eyelashes fluttered as bright sunlight filtered in through the windows, waking her up. She groaned, and pulled her blankets over her face, trying to get back to sleep, but it didn't work. 

She sat up in bed, cracked her spine, and yawned, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She was surprised to learn that she was the first to wake in the dormitory; usually she was the last to get out of bed, and Jamie sometimes had to drag her.

It was quite late. Sirius crept over to Jamie's bed, where she was snoring, her glasses still on crookedly, and her arms askew. Sirius snickered, and carefully smeared some foul smelling substance from Jamie's herbology kit on to her palm. She strongly suspected it was Mooncalf Dung, but it was best not to make too many assumptions. 

Sirius darted to Petra's bed, but she was still asleep, and so was Frankie. Remus's curtains were drawn, so Sirius padded silently up to her bed, and cautiously pulled the drapes aside. She nearly jumped back in horror, Remus looked like the undead.

There were huge, dark smudges underneath her eyes, she was incredibly pale, and her arms were folded across her chest like a person in a coffin, although her expression seemed to be twisted with pain.

She let out a whine in her throat, and shifted a little. Sirius heaved a sigh of relief, now that she was entirely sure Remus was still alive.

The truth was, she was still incredibly worried about her, even though she had mainly given up on trying to find out what was wrong. Remus would deny anything Sirius said, and would continue to deny, so there was hardly a point. Maybe she did have an illness, Sirius mused, looking at the sickly girl in front of her.

She tried to take a step back, but stumbled, as Remus's hazel green eyes suddenly flew open and made contact with Sirius's gray ones.

She looked bemused at Sirius's guilty stance. 'Morning,' she said, doubtfully.

'Morning,' replied Sirius guiltily. She tried to act as if she hadn't been caught staring down at her dormmate. 'Wanna go down for breakfast? I'm starving, and this ruddy useless lot don't look like they're going to resurrect any time soon.'

Remus flexed her shoulders and winced, more than any normal eleven year old should have, Sirius noted. 'Sure,' she replied stiffly. 

Sirius allowed her to hop out of bed, and the two of them quickly got ready, chuckling at the dung smeared on Jamie's palm.

It seemed like some of the older girls had thrown a wild party, and Remus was surprised to see a Ravenclaw boy without a shirt on hanging half out the Sixth Year dorms, covered in confetti and lipstick. He flopped a hand over his eyes and groaned as they passed, knocking over an empty bottle of Firewhisky. The girls must have smuggled him in.

Judging by the amount of groaning and swearing coming from the dorms as the girls awoke, it seemed like that hadn't been the only bottle of Firewhisky opened that night.

Remus picked her way nervously over his body. 

Sirius snorted. 'We should have a party like that someday, eh?'

Remus nodded nervously. 

They walked to the Great Hall, exchanging gossip, and telling stupid jokes, Sirius not really talking about what she wanted to, afraid of scaring Remus off again.

Lillian was already there, primly reading a Muggle detective novel, but Sirius dragged Remus further down the table to where it was more deserted so that no one would overhear them speak.

As they helped themselves to rashers and eggs and beans, Sirius made small talk. 'Don't you just love breakfast?' she asked, rather stupidly.

Remus looked at her oddly, but nodded. 'I suppose so. It's alright,' she shrugged.

Sirius struggled with what to say next. 'You should eat some more,' she said to Remus, who didn't have much on her plate. 'You're looking rather peaky these days.'

Remus looked inexplicably alarmed, but took another helping of baked beans. 'How do you mean?' she asked casually.

Sirius hesitated. 'Well... you've got darker shadows under your eyes, you look rather pale, and you just don't look that well altogether.'

Remus nodded slowly, her mouth full of egg.

Sirius pushed a little further. 'Do you want me to take you to Madam Pomfrey?' she asked. 'Or is there something you want to tell me?'

Remus lost her temper, shoving away her half finished plate away from her. 'Sod off, Sirius,' she sighed. 'We've talked about this. Just mind your own business, like we agreed.'

She got up and walked out of the hall. Sirius stared after her, wishing she could help Remus with whatever was troubling her. She almost got up and chased after Remus, but she had a feeling that would just make things worse. 

Lillian scooted down a couple of seats, so that he was nearer to her. 'What was that all about?' he asked, with evident curiosity.

Sirius ran a hand through her raven hair, before leaping to her feet in agitation. 'Piss off, Evans,' she muttered distractedly, as she fled from the Hall.

She returned to Gryffindor Tower, to wake Jamie if she wasn't already awake, and get up to no good, but stopped short when she saw Remus outside, biting her nails nervously.

'Hullo,' muttered Sirius in passing, not meeting her eye. 

'Wait,' Remus said desperately, as Sirius muttered the password to the Fat Lady. Sirius paused, looking at her questioningly, as she held the painting open.

The Fat Lady cursed in annoyance, but Sirius ignored her. 'Yeah?'

Remus chewed her lip, wringing her hands. She didn't want Sirius questioning her or trying to find out, but she also didn't want to lose one of the only friends she'd ever had. 'I just wanted to say... sorry.'

'It's no problem,' muttered Sirius, still not meeting her worried gaze, as she pushed open the portrait hole even more.

'It's just that... my mum's ill, and I've been worrying about her. I've got to go visit her soon.'

'You should have said something.'

'I know. I'm sorry.'

Sirius sighed through her nose. Lupin's lie wasn't convincing enough, but Sirius wouldn't push her for now. She held the portrait hole open for Remus, as they stepped inside, and headed up to the dorms.

All of the others were awake, and were crowded around Petra's bed admiringly. Sirius pushed to the front to see what all the fuss was about.

Petra was looking extremely chuffed, as Jamie picked up a bar of Honeyduke's Finest from the substantial stash of goodies on the bed. 'Help yourself,' she squeaked proudly.

Jamie stuffed several bars in her pyjama pockets, snapping her fingers delightedly. 'Thanks, I will!'

Sirius was satisfied to see a large stripe of dirt on her cheek. Remus had evidently seen it too, as she was trying not to laugh.

Frankie nabbed a couple of bars as well, and Sirius swiped a Licorice Wand, but Remus hovered behind her, not daring to take one. Sirius, Frankie and Jamie were all rich Purebloods, they could afford to return the favour to Petra, but Remus could not. Her parents were already stretching themselves thin trying to keep her at Hogwarts. 

Sirius nudged her forward as she stared at a bar of Honeyduke's Finest wistfully. 'Go on, mate.'

Remus shook her head with a regretful smile.

Sirius frowned, but didn't push her. 'How did you come by all this stuff anyway?' she asked Petra. It was too early for her to have received an owl, and even if she had in the days prior to this one, Petra would have opened the sweets. Besides, Sirius would have seen such a large package of sweets arriving in the Great Hall. 

Petra looked delighted that someone had finally asked. She tapped her nose, smiling mysteriously. 'Mum's the word.'

'I know exactly what word your mum is,' Sirius muttered under her breath, glowering at Petra. 

For once, though, Sirius's dirty looks did not bother Petra. She had a secret to keep, and Sirius and Jamie were both paying attention to her. The truth was, that the passage in the Humped Witch led to Honeyduke's cellar.

Petra had seized all the chocolates and candy she could find, leaving the meagre collection of sickles hidden in the bottom of her pockets on the counter. She had a feeling it didn't quite cover the cost of what she had taken, but at least she had tried. That was more than some students would have done.

She knew that if her mother and father found out, they would be disgusted. 

Sirius changed tack, sensing that Petra wasn't going to open up any time soon. 

Ignoring the sweets completely, she sat down on Petra's bed, beckoning the rest of them. She smiled sweetly at Petra, as they all gathered in a circle, Frankie included.

'Right. So. Revenge. Anyone got any ideas?'

Petra feigned a look of confusion. 'Err... on who, exactly?' Petra knew who Sirius wanted to target, but she felt like pushing her boundaries now that she had something Sirius wanted. It would teach them right to go on adventures without her. Of course, they left out Frankie, but that just wasn't the same.

She relished in how Sirius had to grit her teeth to stop herself from dishing out a scathing reply. 'Malfoy, that dung-soaked flobberworm, of course.'

'Ah, yes, him!' Petra said breezily.

Remus and Jamie exchanged nervous looks. This had the potential to end explosively. 

Remus cleared her throat, and wiggled further into the circle on the bed. 'I have an idea,' she said loudly, just to stop the dangerous exchange between Sirius and Petra.

They all turned to look at her. She felt herself going red. Her throat went dry. 'We... Um... No, sorry, I don't have an idea.'

Sirius shot her a scandalised look. 'What do you mean, you have no ideas? You, Remus Lupin, have been the brains behind some of our riskier operations.'

Jamie nodded emphatically, her glasses sliding down her nose. 

Remus racked her brains, but nothing came. It was true though, that she had planned quite a few of the escapades that month, although she had never quite been caught. The action was all down to Jamie and Sirius. 

'We'll come back to you,' Sirius promised. 'I've good mind to charm a couple suits of armor to look like ol' McGoogly and follow him 'round, singing various offensive songs.'

Petra giggled. 'Ooh! That is rather good.'

Jamie snorted. 'I'm imagining it now...' She looked into the distance, imagining it fondly.

Sirius smirked. 'It is rather good, isn't it?'

Jamie broke out of her reverie just to elbow her. 'Oi! I thought I was the big headed tosser around here!'

'We could make his hair go a different colour,' piped up Petra reedily, not wanting to be left out. 

Sirius waved her hand dismissively, chewing another Licorice Wand. It seemed that she had temporarily forgotten to suck up to Petra. 'Nah. We already did that with their clothes. We can't have anyone saying we're not original, even if they are a ruddy bunch of Slytherins. Our reputation still means something.'

Remus snorted. 'What reputation? The professors already have all of us marked out for trouble.' 

'True. At the very least, I vote that we bribe Peeves into pelting him with last night's custard. We can only hope it's gone rank now,' Sirius said thoughtfully.

Remus looked surprised. 'You know what? That is actually quite a good idea. And it would be hard to trace back to us. Peeves is naughty enough that McGonagall will suspect he did it of his own accord without any persuasion from us. I say we go for it.'

Sirius held up her hand for a high-five. 'Go it, Lupin! Knew you had it in you.'

Frankie sniggered. 'That sounds like good fun and all, but I'd rather watch from a distance. If my mum ever heard about this...'

Sirius looked annoyed. She turned on Frankie. 'What would you ruddy tell your mother for? She the one with the funky vulture hat?' she asked rudely.

Frankie looked vaguely offended. 'What funky vulture hat? I'll have you know that is a priceless family heirloom!'

Jamie bit back a snicker. 

Sirius sniffed. 'Whatever. I'm bored. Let's go out by the lake.'

They all leapt up, the row immediately forgotten.


	24. Percuro

Remus sat in the armchair by the fire, scribbling out the last few lines of her essay. Her legs were flung over Sirius's lap. Sirius hadn't even started her essay, chewing her pencil, and absently staring into the flames.

The Common Room was pretty much empty, as everyone was either in their dorms, still eating dinner in the Great Hall, outside, or in the library.

Petra was still at dinner, and Jamie had dozed off by the foot of the armchair. She snored lightly, every now and then, and Sirius had taken great delight in scribbling a thick moustache on her upper lip.

Remus took a nervous glance out the window. It was the night of the full moon, and it was getting dark. She should be on her way soon. She slammed her book shut abruptly, causing Sirius to look up.

'Done already?' she asked, looking impressed.

'It wouldn't take you so long if you stopped using Jamie as a canvas, and actually got on with the work,' Remus chided, biting back a smile as she looked at some of the doodles and obscenities Sirius had decorated Jamie's skin with. 'Quite the regular Picasso, aren't you?'

Sirius smirked. 'I have no idea what you just said, but I'm going to pretend it was a compliment. Wanna help me on my essay too? I think that if I write one more inch on wand movements, I'm going to go starkers.'

Remus scoffed, looking at Sirius's scribbled on, but otherwise empty roll of parchment. 'One more inch? You haven't even written the date.'

'All the more reason to help me start it off!' whined Sirius, giving Remus big grey eyes.

'You need to learn how to do your own work. One day, I'm not going to be there, and you won't know how to do your homework. Besides,' Remus sighed, gathering her things together, and preparing to get up, 'I can't. I'm going home.'

Sirius grabbed her ankle as she detangled her legs. 'What? Why?'

Remus froze, shaking Sirius off, and getting up. She hadn't thought it through that far. Her cheeks went pink as she looked at the floor, and mumbled, 'Err... my mother's sick. I've got to visit her. Permission from McGonagall.'

Sirius's smooth brow creased with concern. 'You're going home? It must be pretty serious then. Why didn't you tell us before? They don't normally allow students to go home for ill parents. How -- how is she?' Sirius didn't even bother making her usual pun.

Remus scuffed the floor anxiously with her battered shoe. 'She'll be fine,' she mumbled, not daring to meet Sirius's eye. 'I'll be back soon. Take my books up for me, will you?'

She dumped her books onto a flabbergasted Sirius's lap, as she turned to the portrait hole, unwilling to undergo much more interrogation.

Sirius pushed the books onto the armchair as she got up and tried to follow Remus. 'Remus! Re! You can't just go like that! Why didn't you say something before! OI!'

But Remus had opened the portrait hole and fled. Sirius half stepped out, scanning the corridor up and down, but Remus seemed to have vaporised into thin air.

She sighed grumpily. What was it with that Lupin kid? Always here, always there, always in Sirius's head. 

'Shut the bloody hole!' screamed the Fat Lady.

'I'll shut your bloody hole for you, alright,' muttered Sirius darkly, as she retreated back into the Common Room. 

Jamie had risen from her slumber at all the commotion, and was looking at Sirius with sleepy eyes. 'What's going on?' 

Sirius thumped back in her comfy red armchair before the fire, her limbs sprawled messily. She stared into the flames, her mouth barely moving as she replied, 'Remus's gone to see her sick mother, apparently. She'll be gone for a day.'

Jamie frowned up at her. 'She never mentioned any sick mother... The poor thing's probably been keeping it all in. We should talk to her when she gets back.'

Sirius kicked the heel of her shoes against the armchair, still not entirely convinced. 'Alright, then.' She grabbed Jamie's arm, and yanked her onto the armchair beside her. She flung her legs over Jamie's lap, just like Remus's legs had been flung over hers minutes before. 'Help me with my Charms essay?'

Remus leant against the wall, panting. She'd had to dart around the corner to avoid Sirius, who was sure to try and follow her.

She heard the Fat Lady screaming at Sirius as she looked around for Remus. Remus heard a low threat and a curse, as Sirius slammed the portrait hole shut, to let out her frustration, and to annoy the Fat Lady.

Remus heaved a sigh of relief as she cautiously emerged onto the landing, and began her sneaky descent down the stairs. Why did Sirius have to be so bloody nosey?

The Great Hall was still packed, so Remus cast a Camouflaging Charm, well beyond her level, and slipped out silently when all the other students were laughing and eating. She caught sight of Petra heaping another helping of roast potatoes on top of her very full plate from across the hall, and laughed. 

Severa Snape turned her head sharply in Remus's direction when she heard the chuckle, but turned away when Mulciber caught her attention. 

Remus couldn't help but sneer at the sight of Mulciber's stupid face. She tried not to hate anybody just because they were a Slytherin, unlike Jamie and Sirius, but Mulciber was truly the scum of the earth. If Jamie and Sirius were going to waste their energy hating Slytherins, then they should at least use it on Mulciber instead of Snape. 

Remus quickly strode past the table, unseen, and slid out the doors. 

She shivered when she was outside, and felt the familiar pull of the moon on her bones. The warmth of the Hall was a great contrast to the sharpness of the biting Autumn evening.

Remus pulled her jumper about her tightly, and scampered down the path to the grounds, finding her way to the Willow in the dusk.

She hit the spot on the wild tree with practised ease, and hurried on down the tunnel, lighting the way with her wand.

Remus felt relieved when she saw the tunnel coming to an end. Already, her skin was feeling itchy, and tight; ready to burst. She sat down on the floor in the Shrieking Shack, and scratched at her arms desperately, turning to face the open window, where the rising moon shone in. 

It cast eerie shadows about the dilapidated old shack, making everything look surreal, the dingy wood walls an odd shade of grey, and the dust motes making the air silver.

As the moon crept higher in the sky, Remus started to grow hot, and her breath came in short, fast puffs. As the moon reached its highest point, Remus's muscles cramped agonisingly, and her bones began to melt and mold into a new shape.

Her jaw stretched, and sharp teeth sliced through the delicate gums, and fur began to sprout through her skin like sharp bristles. As her tail grew, and claws emerged from her paws, Remus screamed, her mind still not entirely lost to the wolf.

Then, the moonlight shone into her pupils, and the familiar grassy green colour went gold, and the black turned into slits.

The she-wolf threw back her fearsome head and let out a mournful howl at the moon.

Remus didn't return that night. She didn't return the next day, either, until late that night. 

She didn't look as bad as she had the last time she'd visited her parents, so Sirius thought they couldn't have done anything too terrible to her, but nevertheless, she was still worried. Remus had a bandage on her arm, and a large slice down the side of her face that seemed to have some sort of greasy ointment rubbed across it.

Remus stood in the doorway awkwardly. Sirius looked her up and down with concern.

She couldn't think of anything to really say. 'Hullo,' was all she managed. It came out raspily.

Remus's shadowed eyes flickered to her, busy and distracted. 'H-hello,' she replied. She nodded at Jamie, who was staring at Remus. 'Where are the others?' she asked, in a poor attempt at conversation.

Sirius jerked her thumb to where light snoring was drifting from Frankie's bed. 'Frankie's sleeping, and Petra's in the bath.'

Noisy splashing came from the bathrooms to punctuate this.

Remus nodded slowly, not moving from the doorframe. Sirius could see exhaustion clearly in the hunch of her thin shoulders, the dullness in her glazed eyes, and in the way her head hung low, falling to her chest. Regardless of what had or had not happened, Sirius saw that she clearly needed rest, and soon.

Jamie finally spoke. 'What happened to your arm?' she asked bluntly. 

Sirius threw an old sock at her.

Remus blushed. 'Oh - it's nothing. Don't worry about it.'

Sirius stepped forward, sensing Remus's obvious discomfort. 'How's your mum?' she asked.

Despite her expectation that Remus would be relieved at this question, Remus looked positively panicked. 'She's -- she's fine,' she muttered, starting to shuffle painfully towards her bed.

With a twist in her belly, Sirius noticed a bandage stuck over Remus's leg as well. 'You look dead on your feet. Here, let me help you.'

She grabbed Remus's uninjured arm, and helped her along to her bed. Remus looked like she was going to argue, then leaned into Sirius heavily, panting as she moved painfully. Jamie watched with distress in her eyes, wondering why her classmate had come back so injured.

Sirius eased Remus onto the bed gently. Remus sat perched on the edge, rubbing her calf, and catching her breath. 

Sirius stepped back and watched her with folded arms.

'Thank you,' Remus rasped hoarsely. She tried to get into her pyjamas, but found it too difficult. She looked at Sirius with an apology in her eyes. With a pang, Sirius noted more cuts and bruises on her sides. Remus saw her looking, and tried to cover her torso with her arms self-consciously.

Sirius tore her eyes away, realising that it made the other girl uncomfortable, and hastily pulled the t-shirt over Remus's arms. What was her business was her business, and Sirius had no right to interfere. She knew she hated sharing her nightmares with Jamie, when she woke up kicking and shouting.

'Thank you,' Remus murmured gratefully again, her eyes tired and sad.

Sirius nodded, wishing she could do more. She slipped back to her own bed as Jamie wished everyone goodnight and began to snore in synchrony with Frankie.

Sirius rolled her eyes and groaned. She sat against the headboard of her messy bed, and watched as Remus pulled the red drapes around her bed. The dormitory was cast in a dim, golden glow, due to the flickering lamps in the corners, and it turned Remus's tawny hair gold as she fixed her curtains. She gave Sirius one last nod as she retreated back into her bed.

Sirius chewed a Licorice Wand thoughtfully as she contemplated Remus. She was an odd girl, no doubt about that. She was kind, funny, and quirky too, but she hid a darker secret. 

She finally gave up, and pulled her blankets over her, trying to sleep. It didn't work. She tossed and turned for hours, her thoughts plagued by this mysterious girl, and the enigma she presented.

Her pondering was interrupted only by Frankie and Jamie's snores, and Petra's humming when she emerged from the shower clad only in a large blue towel. 

She squeaked when she saw Sirius giving her a dark glare, and hurried back to her bed, where she changed behind the curtains.

A few hours later, Sirius was still awake, and her mind was no clearer. She gave up all pretenses of actually getting any sleep, and she crept over to Remus's bed, and pushed open the curtain.

She looked peaceful, her short, tawny hair spread across her pillow, until she shifted, and the blood from the cut on her face smeared onto the pillow. Her expression twisted with something Sirius wasn't quite sure what, as a shaft of moonlight landed through the curtains and into her face.

Sirius lifted her wand. 'Percuro,' she whispered, watching as the gash on Remus's face smoothed over. She moved her wand to Remus's other casts and injuries. Who had made those bandages? Other cuts and bruises on Remus's body closed up, and became invisible as Sirius healed them. 

What Sirius didn't know was that the scars beneath the bandages were the ones she couldn't heal, for not even magic can heal wounds from a werewolf.

Sirius stood by her friend's bed, and watched as her thin chest rose and fell peacefully in the dim light of the flickering yellow lamps.


	25. Bloody Umbitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I have no idea of when Umbridge was born, so I included her. Looking back, it seems to me that putting her in the older years would have been a wiser choice, but seeing as it's already prewritten, and I went on a power trip and gave her quite a prominent role, I can't exactly cut her out, sooo... *shrugs*   
Anyway, feedback and critisism is welcomed as always, just be nice :)

Remus woke to the sound of yelling. 

'There are pubes on this, yellow pubes!' Jamie was roaring, furiously brandishing a slippery bar of soap in her hand at Petra, waving madly at her dull blonde locks.

Petra squeaked and threw her pillow indignantly at Jamie. 'It's not mine! And besides we're eleven. No one has pubes yet.'

Jamie snorted. 'Well, if that wool farm you're cultivating on your chin is any indicator, then I'd say you've got quite the carpet down there, mate.'

Sirius snickered from where she was perched on the edge of her bed, watching the scene with great interest. Remus noticed that her gaze kept straying back towards her. She hoped the full moon hadn't aroused her suspicions again. 

Sirius didn't seem at all inclined to deescalating the situation. 'I hear Dumbledore's putting in orders for a new fake beard,' she said, in a tone of mock earnestness. 'Maybe you could contribute a few of your whiskers.'

'Argh!' Petra stormed towards Jamie, and grabbed the soap. 'Where is it?' she screeched. 'There's no hair!'

She ran to the window, and threw it out forcefully, glaring at the others, and breathing heavily, her fists clenched tightly.

Frankie and Jamie ran to the window as several students in the courtyard below screamed at the UFO, and McGonagall yelled loudly at everyone.

Frankie whistled admiringly. 'Well, you've caused quite the fuss in the henhouse. Didn't know you had it in you, Pettigrew.' She clapped Petra on the back, as she headed to the toilets. 'Someone get a House-Elf to get us some new soap!'

Petra threw on the rest of her uniform, fuming, and then headed down the stairs, her tie not done, and her shoes on the wrong feet. 

Remus shook her head, and sat up, stretching. She'd been expecting her cuts and bruises to sting and ache, so she was pleasantly surprised to discover that she felt nothing at all, and that her bruises had faded to nothing.

She took a cautious peek under her bandage, and gaped when she saw how clean the wound was. Of course, being a magical bite, it would have to heal the Muggle way, but somehow the process had been sped up. Remus looked around, to see Sirius watching her with bright eyes. She almost definitely had something to do with this. 

Sirius nodded at her, before taking Frankie's place in the toilet.

It was odd, Remus mused. If it had been Sirius, then how had she performed the magic? It was well beyond what a First Year could do. Remus had thought the bandages she'd applied were alright, as she refused to continually bother Madam Pomfrey, but Sirius's healing magic was highly advanced.

She got ready quickly, and went down to breakfast with the rest of her dormmates, after making Jamie promise to apologise to Petra.

'All right,' Jamie had agreed grudgingly. 'But she still needs to really clean up after herself.'

Remus turned to her. 'What proof do you have it's her? It could have been me, for all you know.'

Sirius slunk up close to her, as they strolled into the Great Hall, and twirled one of Remus's tawny curls between her long fingers. 'I don't think so, sweetums,' she said in a sugary tone. 'Not the right colour. Not even close.'

'Well the two of you had better say sorry anyway!' exclaimed Remus, highly annoyed.

However, the two of them completely ignored poor Petra, who was sulking by the toast with Marius, and went on to have a thrilling conversation about the importance of staging a protest to allow First Years on the Quidditch team.

Remus spooned baked beans onto her plate. 'That won't work,' she told them briskly. 'But what might work is you trying to solve at least one of our problems by just going and apologising. Merlin knows, we could do with a few less problems.' Remus looked discreetly over to where Dolores Umbridge was busy making faces at Lillian.

Jamie and Sirius followed her gaze. 'Bloody dung-clobbered toad,' sneered Jamie.

Sirius just threw Dolores a contemptuous look, and turned back to her plate. 'I dunno what bloody Umbitch is making a fuss about. She's not even a Pureblood herself. Bleedin' pretentious old bat. Her father is a cleaner at the Ministry, and her mother is some Muggle. Pureblood indeed. Huh!'

Dolores saw Sirius laughing at her, and Remus's answering smirk. She didn't dare go after Sirius, but Remus was poor, and a half-blood just like her.

Dolores seethed with anger. She leant across the table to Evan Rosier, and whispered something in his ear. As he moved away, a slow grin spread its way across his face. 

She saw Severa squinting at them suspiciously, and made a face at her. 

At the Gryffindor table, across the Hall, Black, Potter, and Lupin were preparing to go to their lessons. Dolores noted with relish, that Pettigrew was steadfastly ignoring them, and that Lupin was going on ahead. The famed gang was already splitting apart. Perfect.

She exchanged glances with Evan, and he nodded importantly at her. The two of them got up without a word, and swiftly moved to head off Lupin right outside, before she was joined by her gang.

Dolores cast a glance towards the front of the Hall, where the teachers were all eating breakfast and conversing. That senile old fool, Dumbledore, was showing that oaf, Hagrid, some new contraption he'd made. The lamps kept switching on and off. 

She and Evan snuck out the doors, and waited for that stinking Half-Blood, Lupin, to come out, so they could ambush her and teach the Mudbloods a lesson. Dolores noted that Lupin was walking with a limp, and she already had several bandages and plasters all over her body. 

Evan stood on the other side of the door, and nodded at Dolores. The second Lupin came limping through the open doors, Evan grabbed her roughly, and shoved her over to Dolores.

Dolores might have been short and squat, but she had quite a stoic build. Remus was injured already, despite Sirius's efforts, so she fell to the floor when Dolores shoved her, tears in her eyes, gasping.

Dolores sneered. 'Thought it was time to teach you and your little friends how things are running around here. This year, Slytherins will no longer be tolerating insubordination from Mudblood and Half-Blood peasants.' She gave a savage little giggle, as Rosier chuckled and nodded in agreement.

'My, my,' Remus wheezed, clutching at her bruised and sore leg, still managing a sassy reply. 'Aren't those big words for our resident plebian toad?'

Dolores grunted angrily, and kicked her in the sides a few more times. 'Silence - you - dim-witted - arrogant - insolent - half-blood!'

Although Remus was struggling to breathe, and she was certain that most of her wounds had opened up, she said lazily, 'Don't go damaging your brain cells trying to hurt my feelings, Dolores. You're on your last few. Merlin knows, I'd be worried if I were you.'

Dolores's square face had gone pale with anger. Evan looked to her for guidance.

Dolores pulled out her wand, and Evan followed suit. 'Seeing as you're the one on the ground, bleeding, I'd be more worried at present,' Rosier chuckled mirthlessly.

Remus tried to grab her wand, but Evan stood heavily on her arm. She cried out in pain.

Dolores smiled sweetly at her. 'Time to teach the filthy Half-blood Blood Traitor her place,' she murmured sugarily.

She aimed her wand at Remus's head. Remus shut her eyes and braced herself.

'Did someone say "Half -blood Blood Traitor"?' drawled a familiar voice.

Remus's eyes flew open as she felt Evan take his foot off her arm. She almost cried in relief.

Sirius was strolling towards them, followed by Jamie. Lillian was at her side. Where Sirius was twirling her wand between her fingertips nonchalantly, Jamie and Lillian were both glowering at Dolores and Evan with a passion, wands drawn and aimed, but it was the look in Sirius's eyes that scared Dolores and Evan the most. 

She was expressionless, but her gray eyes burned with a cold fire that was a thousand times more terrifying than Jamie and Lillian's scowls.

Dolores swallowed, and scowled. 'Stay out of this. This is none of your business. We've only got a problem with this one.' She nudged Remus sharply with her boot, making Remus inhale sharply and curse.

Sirius rubbed her chin thoughtfully. 'See, I couldn't help but hear you call Remus here 'filthy Half-blood', and I was just thinking that that was a wee bit hypocritical.'

Dolores went bone white, and Evan Rosier looked confused. 'What are you on about?' he asked contemptuously. 

Dolores gathered herself. 'I don't see your point, Black.'

Sirius smiled easily. 'Allow me to show you. See, as a member of a Sacred 28 family, which, you don't happen to be, I have access to records and birth lines.' She leaned in conspiritorially, her voice dropping to a whisper. 'That means I know who's a Pureblood, and who most certainly isn't.'

Evan watched a faint-looking Dolores, bewildered. 'Now, see here, Black --' he began, but he was cut off.

Sirius cut him off, and continued smoothly. 'So, as I was saying, Mummy's a Muggle, and she's left us, and Daddy -- Well, I wonder who he is. Parkinson? Perkins? He's a cleaner at the Ministry isn't he?'

Jamie laughed at Dolores, and at how the wind had so thoroughly been knocked out of her. 'I'd be more careful about going after people's parents next time.'

Sirius smiled sweetly at Umbridge, who was at a loss for words. 'I don't take kindly to people hurting my friends, so I suggest you apologise, and scram before it gets nasty.'

Dolores opened her mouth, and then closed it, aiming a kick at Remus, who had been attempting to stand up. 'LIES!' she screamed, as she turned and ran after the already fleeing Evan Rosier.

'Petrificus Totalus!' bellowed Lillian. Dolores froze, and fell face first onto the floor with a dull thud. Jamie and Lillian ran on to get her, but Sirius stayed behind and helped her to her feet.

Remus gasped her thanks, as she clutched her friend's arm, and leaned on her heavily. She gestured at her bandages. 'They're open again.'

Sirius smiled sadly at her. 'I know.'

Remus leaned against Sirius, still gasping painfully. 'You tried to heal them last night, didn't you?'

Sirius stiffened. 'What makes you think that?' 

'You did, didn't you?' Remus pressed.

Sirius looked at the floor, not meeting her gaze. 'Sorry.'

'I thought I asked you not to get involved in all this rubbish,' Remus said gently.

Sirius finally met her gaze, looking angry. 'When I agreed to that, I agreed to not pry in your personal business, not to watch my friend injured and in pain. I didn't agree to this.'

Remus sighed and nodded. She waved her hand to where Jamie and Lillian were busy making Umbridge pay. Grunts and groans were loud in the corridor. 'I didn't sign up for this, either. There'll be hell to pay when McGonagall finds out.'

Sirius grinned and shrugged. 'Nah, Minnie loves us. Even if we do get detention, it won't even count, as it'll just be biscuits and tea.'

'Oh, crumbs!' Remus exclaimed in alarm as McGonagall hurried towards them, followed by Severa Snape who was lurking behind her. They were receiving several odd looks from students coming out of the Great Hall.

She looked harried and harrassed. 'What is the meaning of this?' she demanded, bustling forward. She looked disappointed upon seeing Lillian there. 'I expected better from you, Evans!'

Jamie looked up from where she had been hexing Umbridge into a bloody heap. Lillian stood guard, arms folded, glaring.

'Umbridge, here, decided it would be a good idea to get with Rosier and beat up Remus over her blood-status. The other cockroach scurried off, but we got this one,' said Jamie defiantly. 'Just look at poor Remus!'

Remus leaned against Sirius and tried her best to look 'poor'. 

McGonagall's expression softened instantly. 'Well, I suppose it's a good thing Miss. Snape alerted Mr. Evans and the rest of you to the danger Miss. Lupin was in.'

Jamie's jaw fell down. 'Snivella told him? Why would she do that? And how would she know?' Jamie added threateningly. 

Both Severa and Lillian paled, knowing what Jamie was alluding to. Jamie still hadn't forgotten about their midnight visit to the library. She just hoped Severa didn't actually have the power.

'Watch your mouth, Potter,' said McGonagall sharply. She shooed them off to class. Then she turned to the snivelling heap that was Dolores, her expression going dark with contempt. 'And now to deal with you.'

Remus leant heavily on Sirius as they all staggered to Potions together. It had just been the full moon, and these new bruises weren't helping the pain factor at all. 

Jamie and Lillian hung in the background, both glowering menacingly at nothing, and trying to look dangerous in general.

Jamie looked at Lillian sideways. 'I think we make a pretty good team, eh, Evans?'

Sirius snorted, as Lillian rolled his eyes. 'Don't kid yourself, Potter.'

Remus exchanged looks with Sirius.

As they silently entered the Potions classroom, which was already full, Slughorn paused in the middle of his lecture to give them all reproachful looks, but said nothing.

As Remus hobbled to her seat, Sirius checking in her anxiously every step of the way, she relished in the fact that Dolores was not there. Hopefully she was either in the Hospital Wing, or in McGonagall's office, being yelled at.

She didn't pay attention for most of Slughorn's lecture, her mind drifting off to the events of the morning, and what it meant for future inter-house politics, so when Slughorn clapped his hands and announced it was time to get on with their Potion making, Remus turned to Sirius, and was met with an equally blank stare.

'You weren't listening?' 

Sirius grinned and shrugged in response.

Remus blinked at her, and flicked through her textbook, hoping to find some useful piece of information. But as usual, the book was about as clear as the lost scrolls of Merlin. 'Bloody useless,' muttered Remus.

'That's my purpose,' Sirius said comfortably, propping her feet up on the table, earning herself an indulgent head shake from Slughorn.

'That statement is contradictory. To have a purpose, you have to be useful.'

'Guess they broke the rules for me, then.'

As was the standard, Remus and Sirius engaged in witty and pointless banter as they tried to keep up with the class. Remus was already bad at Potions, in addition to her extra sensitive post-moon nose making her woozy, and Sirius simply did not give a sodding toadstool.

Sirius elbowed her, lowering herself on the desk conspiritorially. 'Oi! Since we are now rebels, and we don't care about Potions, what say you we get up to a little mischief managing?'

Remus bit her lip thoughtfully, then shrugged. 'I'm game, if you are. Rosier is looking positively toad-ish to me today.'

Sirius cocked her head sideways and stared at him. 'Why, I think you're absolutely right. I don't like his face. Let's bloody ruin him.'

Evan looked over at Sirius watching him, and swallowed nervously. Sirius gave him a ghastly grin, and chucked a phial of armadillo bile into his cauldron.

'OI!' Evan roared. 'What the bleedin' hell do you think you're playing at, Black--' But he didn't get to finish his sentence, because the cauldron bubbled, and exploded in his face.

Slughorn waddled over, exclaiming loudly in dismay.

Remus, who had already been feeling dizzy from all the fumes and gases filling the air, bent over, and promptly threw up.

Slughorn stood speechless, his hands in the air, staring at the fuming boy, covered in potion and smoldered black with ash, and staring at the weak, woozy, and vomiting werewolf.

Sirius stepped in, sensing weakness, and taking the initiative. 'I'll take Remus to see Madam Pomfrey, if that's quite alright, sir. And Evan, darling, do be more careful with your Potion next time,' she added chidingly.

Jamie could not help but laugh as Sirius guided Remus away, and Slughorn turned towards Evan angrily, his hands on his hips.


	26. Persephone Paisley

Severa stabbed at her slice of cheesecake listlessly. All around her in the Great Hall, students were chattering loudly and laughing, as they finished their desserts.

Severa looked across the Hall to the Gryffindor table, where Lillian was chatting with Marius and Lupin. She felt a pang of jealousy lance through her as Lillian threw his head back and laughed with them. She saw Marius nudge him, and whisper something in his ear. 

Lillian turned around, and met Severa's gaze. Severa's heart jolted as he smiled widely at her, before turning back to his friends. 

Across the table from her, Lucius Malfoy cleared his throat. His eyes were fixed on Severa. She met his cold gaze, and looked away quickly, unnerved by it.

As the desert plates vanished, Dumbledore stepped up to the podium, and clapped his hands. The Hall fell silent instantly, although Severa wasn't sure if it was from the shock of his bright orange-sequined robes, or the clap for silence.

'Good Evening, my friends,' he said loudly, his voice carrying over the Great Hall. 'I will only need to borrow your attention for a minute, and them you can go back to doing whatever it is you need to do. As you have all hopefully realised by now, is that we have not had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher since the beginning of term.'

Gideon and Fabian Prewett both stood up. 'Hear, hear!' They yelled. It was a well known fact that the two of them planned to get into the Auror Training program, and for that, they needed to have top grades in Defense.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he waited for silence. 'I have hired Auror Persephone Paisley as our professor, and I am assured that she will meet the high standards of a teacher at Hogwarts School.'

A short, cheery looking woman rose from her seat, where she'd been hidden, and the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables broke into applause.

She had long, curly brown hair in loose ringlets, and she wore a long purple coat over her robes, and a purple pointy hat. As she smiled, a cheeky grin of a thing, Severa got the impression that this was a sensible, no nonsense, honest to earth kind of person.

Fabian and Gideon whooped, looking thrilled, as well as some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. The Slytherins didn't look quite as happy. They sat in huddles, whispering amongst themselves, casting hate-filled filthy looks up at the stage. 

Severa was confused. What had happened? 

She looked at Moira Selwyn, who was staring straight at the table ahead of her, darkly. Severa leaned in. 'What's the fuss?' she whispered. 'They've never acted like this, even around the Muggleborn teachers. What's so bad about this one?'

Moira looked around furtively. 'She's an Auror. Do you know what that is?'

'Of course I do; I'm not entirely stupid,' Severa said indignantly. 'An Auror is a Dark Wizard catcher, of course.'

'Exactly. And what are most of their parents?' Moira hissed.

Severa froze. Everything fell into place. 'Ahh. I see.'

Moira bit her lip, and looked at her lap. 'She's put half the bleeding lot in Azkaban. They're out for blood. And now, for Merlin's sake, keep your bloody head down, and don't get their attention.'

Severa nodded. It was going to be an interesting term.

Severa waited outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The professor was late, and this didn't do anything to appease the angry Slytherins, who already disliked her. On the other hand, the Hufflepuffs on the other side of the corridor were chattering excitedly, waiting for the teacher eagerly.

'I heard she's put half the Dark Wizards and Witches there are in Azkaban!' said Joanna Morris, a short, bright eyed girl.

Another boy, whom Severa could not remember the name of, nodded solemnly. He lowered his voice to what he thought was an inaudible level, looking darkly at the Slytherins. 'Reckon this lot aren't too happy to see her.'

Unfortunately, his voice carried. Mulciber's head snapped up. He took a few threatening steps forward. 'What did you say, Dearborn?'

Dearborn's blue eyes widened in alarm, but he held his ground. 'I said, this lot won't be too happy to see the professor,' he reiterated boldly, stepping towards Mulciber, waving his hand at the seething Slytherins. 'After all, she's put most of your parents in Azkaban. Maybe they'll give you neighbouring cells, if you're lucky.'

Mulciber's jaw tightened, as Avery stepped to his side. They looked at Severa expectantly, but Severa pretended not to see, not wanting to be drawn into this. 

'Would you like me to say it again?' Dearborn asked innocently. 

Avery sneered. 'Quite brave for an ickle Hufflepuff, aren't you?'

Dearborn turned pale with anger, and drew his wand. 'I'll show you who's brave!'

Mulciber smiled grimly, taking out his wand. 'Oh, you're on, Mudblood lover,' he vowed savagely.

Pandora Potts gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth at the filthy word. 'Get him, Caradoc!' she cheered. She took out her own wand, and pointed it at Mulciber.

Peeves chucked a piece of armor at Caradoc. 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' he screamed as he floated past invisibly. 'Peevesy wants a fight!'

'Piss off, Peeves!' roared Evan Rosier, and Peeves blew a raspberry at him, and zoomed backwards, becoming momentarily visible.

Caradoc stepped forward, gripping his wand, encouraged, ready to hex Mulciber for his words. Mulciber did the same. 

'Tantal--' cried Caradoc, at the same time Mulciber cried, 'Anteo--'

But both of their wands came spinning from their hands, and into the hands of Professor Persephone Paisley, who was standing right behind them, clad in purple robes again, and a pointed purple hat. 'I'll talk to both of you after class,' she said cheerfully, unlocking the classroom door. 'Take a seat everyone!'

There was a scramble for seats as Hufflepuffs tried to avoid Slytherins and Slytherins tried to avoid Hufflepuffs... But Severa wished that she was sharing a desk with a Hufflepuff when her desk partner dropped her bag and took a seat.

'Hello,' said Dolores Umbridge in a sugary tone. 'Looks like we'll be learning together this year. I do hope that we can get along, don't you?'

Severa groaned internally, and laid her head on her arms, staring ahead moodily like the other Slytherin first years were doing.

Professor Paisley walked to the front of the class. 'Good morning, children. As I hope most of you know, I am Professor Paisley, and I'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year!' She smiled around cheerfully. A few Hufflepuffs smiled back. 'Let's get straight into it, shall we?'

Chairs scraped as students opened their bags and took their books and quills out.

Professor Paisley waved her wand at the board, and the date and title appeared in chalk. 'Today, we'll be covering the seven types of spells, which are essential to know if you plan to have a career fighting the Dark Arts. How many of you plan on joining Magical Law Enforcement, or perhaps even becoming an Auror?'

From the way she spoke, her deep disdain for the Dark Arts was apparent. Severa wasn't sure if she liked her or not. The professor seemed disappointed when only Caradoc, Joanna, and Pandora raised their hands.

'Is that it?' she said, frowning. 'When I was at Hogwarts, everyone wanted to be an Auror.' 

'Maybe that was before you joined,' Mulciber muttered snidely.

'No one?' she looked at the Slytherins. 'What about you lot?'

Avery chuckled lowly. 'I'll pass, I think.'

Professor Paisley held his contemptuous gaze for a moment, and then turned back to the board which was taking notes. 'Anyway, like I was saying, the seven types of spell. A spell is the generic term for a piece of magic, underneath which fall charms, hexes and curses... Hexes and curses differ on degree of severity. Hexes, like jinxes, spells whose effects are irritating but amusing, have a dark color, but are both relatively minor.' 

Greta Catchlove raised her hand. 'Would you say that a hex is a form of Dark Magic?' She looked pointedly at Mulciber as she said this, remembering the cut to her cheek.

Professor Paisley thought for a second. 'A hex is affiliated with Dark Magic, darker than a jinx but not as dark as a curse, and generally causes moderate suffering to the victim. We have to deal with lots of these in our department.' She smiled at Greta. 'And you are...?'

'Greta. Greta Catchlove.'

Professor Paisley beamed at her. 'Excellent question, Greta.'

Leanne looked around nervously at the Slytherins, who were pointedly looking bored. Her voice shook slightly, as she asked, 'I'm still not quite sure what the difference between a charm and a spell is. Could you please just go over it again quickly?'

Paisley smiled patiently, encouraged by a Slytherin showing interest. 'Of course. A charm is a type of spell. Turning a teacup into a rat would be a Transfiguration spell, whereas making a teacup dance would be a charm. The grey area comes with things like 'Stunning Spells', which on balance I think are Charms, but which we call spell for alliterative effect. Makes it easier to remember, doesn't it?'

Leanne nodded, at ease. 

As the lesson went on, Professor Paisley continued to teach them about the different types of spells, and even the Slytherins except Mulciber began to show enthusiasm, despite their aloof attitude. It was hard not to like this cheery lady, no matter how determined you were to dislike her. It was evident that she was an excellent teacher who knew what she was talking about; no doubt years as an Auror had given her much experience, as well as a deep hatred for the Dark Arts that she displayed whenever possible.

As Mulciber slammed his book shut loudly, Paisley checked the clock. 'Oops! It's time to go. Go over your notes, and we'll continue over to Dark Curses and Jinxes next lesson!'

Chairs scraped again, as the students jostled to get out to break first. 'Goodbye, professor!' Greta said cheerily. Another Hufflepuff boy echoed her.

'Goodbye!' returned the professor, smiling.

Even Leanne gave her a timid nod, before ducking out the classroom with Lucinda, who elbowed her sharply.

Mulciber and Caradoc stayed behind for a few minutes, and soon emerged, clutching their wands. Caradoc sauntered off happily enough, but Mulciber was fuming as he joined his house-mates, whom Avery had persuaded to stay, outside.

Mulciber paused outside the classroom, his fists clenched. His eyes were dark with anger. 'Follow me to the grounds. We're going to have a little chat about this new jumped up piece of Blood Traitor filth that calls herself a professor.'

Moira rolled her eyes discreetly, and trudged along wearily. Leanne and Lucinda followed along reluctantly, as well.

The halls were filled with students rushing out of class, and ghosts who kept walking through people, but Mulciber lead the Slytherin first years out by the deserted Quidditch pitch, which would be empty until Quidditch season began in November.

They all clambered to the Slytherin section of the Quidditch stands, and huddled in a circle. Mulciber sat at the head of it.

'Now, I'm sure you lot have all noticed at least a wee bit of bad feeling directed towards our dear new professor,' Mulciber drawled. 

A few of them nodded.

'I was wondering about that,' Leanne piped up eagerly. 'I mean, she can't be all that bad. And at any rate, she clearly knows what she's doing. She's an ex-Auror after all.'

Mulciber glared at her viciously. 'That's the whole bleedin' problem. Like being the usual Mudblood lover filth Dumbledore brings in ain't enough. He just had to go and hire a blasted Auror as well.'

Avery glowered around supportively. Severa wisely kept her mouth shut. They were treading in dangerous waters; waters she'd rather stay out of.

Lucinda still looked confused. 'She's an Auror. So what?'

Avery looked pained. He hesitated, looking at Mulciber for support.

Mulciber, who had his face buried in his palms dramatically, nodded.

'Persephone Paisley,' Avery said loudly, 'is nothing but a glorified Blood Traitor, working for a Mudblood, corrupt Ministry. For doing no crime worse than purging the unworthy, and following the wishes of the Dark Lord, Persephone Paisley, filthy Traitor she is, wrongfully imprisoned Mulciber's noble aunt and uncle in Azkaban Prison.'

As Mulciber let out a dramatic sob into his hand, a wave of shock and outrage went through the little huddle. Leanne put her arm around him protectively. At the name of the Dark Lord, a chill went through Severa's chest, and a little voice in her head warned her to get out as fast as she could.

Umbridge leaned in with clear interest. 'The Dark Lord?'

Avery's eyes glittered. 'Well...' he began. And then he told them everything.


	27. A Fine Way to Break Tradition

It was another typical dinner at the Gryffindor table. The Prewett twins were standing on the benches, yelling something, and Olivia and McGonagall were yelling back at them to shut up and get down as equally loud. Lillian was staring wistfully at the Slytherin table as usual, to where Severa sat, looking victimised by the older Slytherins.

Petra was stuffing her face in noisily, Sirius was in a fight with Mason McKinnon, and Frankie was covered in food from a tray she'd knocked off the table. She seemed to be in a fight over cleaning with a determined House-Elf, who insisted that Frankie didn't eat any sausages off the floor, to Frankie's dismay.

Despite the chaos, the table was also abuzz with gossip about the new Defense teacher. So far, only the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs in First Year had had a class with her, and Jamie was desperate to see what the famed ex-Auror would be like as a teacher.

What she'd heard made her very excited. The Slytherins detested her, seeing as she'd probably put half their parents in Azkaban, which only made Jamie like her more, but the Hufflepuffs had practically sung her praises from the rooftops. 

Of course, given the fact that they were Hufflepuffs, thought Jamie cheekily, meant that they were liable to do that about anybody who showed them what could be considered common decency by most of the population.

Caradoc Dearborn and Greta Catchlove seemed to be particularly smitten.

Jamie looked around for someone to talk to. Remus looked like she was dying, Petra was still eating, and Sirius hadn't finished her shouting match yet. In that moment, Jamie honestly didn't know why she'd picked this lot to be her friends. 

She turned to face Remus, across the table. 'So, what do you think about Paisley, eh? From what the Hufflepuffs say, she's definitely a class to look forward to, but we can hardly trust what they say, can we?' It was a lame attempt at a jest, and Jamie knew it.

Remus lifted her eyes from her plate with great difficulty, and stared at Jamie with weary eyes, not seeming to have heard what she said. 'What?'

Jamie was alarmed to see deep, purple rings around her eyes. 'I said,' she repeated impatiently, 'What do you think of Paisley? Do you think she's as good as the Hufflepuffs make her out to be?'

Remus shrugged, her shoulders slumping anyway. 'I dunno, mate. I reckon that even the Hufflepuffs can't have exaggerated that much. Maybe she just is that good.'

Jamie shoveled a forkful of peas down her throat. 'I hope so.'

There was a pause. 'You should eat, mate,' she said with concern, noticing Remus staring rather apathetically at her plate. 'It isn't good for you to starve yourself. Plus, you're looking rather peaky these days.'

A look of horror crossed Remus's face at Jamie's words, and she immediately began to devour her food at a pace that would have made Petra envious, had she looked up from her food at all.

Jamie frowned, watching her with mild alarm. 'I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just meant that you should give eating a go.'

Remus slowed down a fraction, but she seemed to have discovered her appetite. Jamie noticed she kept looking nervously at Sirius the whole while. 'Do I really look that peaky?' she asked hurriedly, around a mouthful of potatoes.

Jamie took in her thin, anxious face, and frail body. 'Nah. You look fine,' she said, giving Remus a half-smile. 'Don't worry about it.'

Remus nodded shortly, and continued to eat.

It seemed that that was all Jamie was getting out of Remus for today.

The weekend went by quickly, and Sirius and Jamie exploded a few toilets, and got in a high-speed chase with Filch and his satanic kitten, as well as befriending a ghostly pervert called Moaning Myrtle, who haunted the girl's toilets on the second floor. 

Despite all these distractions, Jamie honestly did try to find out more about the mysterious Persephone Paisley. However, she seemed to have disappeared for the weekend, and the most anybody could tell her was that she, McGonagall, and Professor Dumbledore were often rendesvous-ing in his office. 

'That's odd,' Sirius had said, nose crinkled in surprise. 'Minnie and Dumbles don't ever let anybody into their inner circle like that. It's a bleeding miracle.'

Remus laughed weakly. 'You make it sound as if they have some sort of exclusive teachers club.'

'I wonder if they have initiation rituals,' Sirius had said dreamily, imaging Professor Paisley undergoing various degrading trials with McGonagall and Dumbledore cheering her on.

There were many rumours flying around the subject of Persephone Paisley, and if Jamie had learnt anything at all from her time at Hogwarts, it was that nothing that she heard from the mouth of another student could be taken as the truth. 

The only thing that could be done was to wait until Monday, when they had their first class. Naturally, when Monday came, she was bursting with excitement, and so were the rest of them.

'The only problem is,' Sirius complained, as she walked down the corridor, her hands shoved deeply into her robe pockets, 'is that we have to share her with the bleedin' Ravenclaws. The whole lot of them will be spewing Facts and Knowledge everywhere, and it'll be too much to bear. Is a nice Hufflepuff class too much to ask for?' she asked of the heavens dramatically. 'Come on! Even Slytherins would add some context and Hexing fodder to the class!'

Petra laughed as Jamie snorted. Remus looked around the corridor discreetly, and tugged her kneeling friend off the floor, before she could attract more of the wrong sort of attention. Already, the Slytherins all thought she was mad for getting in with Potter and a bunch of Muggleborns. 'Ravenclaws aren't that bad,' Remus chided gently, steering Sirius in the right direction, as she gestuculated wildly at the air, and ranted loudly.

'They all think they're so bleeding smart, but those flobberworms couldn't even make their emblem a raven!' she turned to Remus pleasingly. 'I mean, please don't tell me you think it is rational in any way to have an flaming eagle for the symbol of Ravenclaw House!'

'Shut it, mate,' Jamie warned lowly, as Lillian walked past.

'Alright, Evans?' she called, running a hand through her hair. 

Lillian barely turned his head enough to give her a scornful look, before tossing his red locks at her, and trotting on.

Sirius guffawed loudly. 'Nice try, mate! Maybe one day, if you keep shouting at him really nicely in the corridors, he'll actually reply!'

Jamie flushed red. 'Oh, shut it, Black. I was just being polite. But evidently, Evans doesn't appreciate that. That's his problem, not mine,' Jamie said loftily.

Petra looked on anxiously. She hoped this wasn't a fight starting. She hadn't enjoyed the last one at all.

Sirius leered at Jamie. 'Keep believing that. Polite my arse. And Remus agrees with me, don't you, Remus?'

'I'm not going to get involved in this,' said Remus wisely, remembering the last time something like this had happened. 'How about we focus on getting to class on time? We shouldn't be late for our first lesson with her, and quite frankly, I'm dying to learn more about her.'

Jamie could not find fault with this, so the four of them hurried on to class, and there was no fight, much to both Petra and Remus's relief.

The Ravenclaws were already lined up and waiting outside, and the Gryffindor girls joined them. As the bell for the morning lesson rang, the door swung open by itself, and the students clattered in. Jamie made sure they all picked the desks at the back, to whisper quietly, or pass notes.

Professor Paisley's eyes narrowed. 'You four -- front of the class, please.' Evidently, she'd heard about their exploits from McGonagall, or some other disapproving teacher.

Jamie picked up her bag wearily, and selected a desk next to Sirius in the third row. The life of a prankster was hard. Professor Paisley still didn't look quite at ease, but she said nothing for the time being.

'Good morning, people,' she said briskly. 'Today, we're going to get straight into it. How many of you know the seven types of spell?'

Bertram Aubrey's hand shot straight up. 'Please, Professor!'

Professor Paisley nodded.

'A spell is the generic term for a piece of magic, underneath which fall charms, hexes and curses... Hexes and curses differ on degree of severity. Hexes, like jinxes, have a dark color, but are both relatively minor. There are also Transfiguration Spells, and Healing Spells, and Counter-spells.'

Professor Paisley looked impressed. 'Couldn't have put it better myself.'

Sirius was sprawled over her chair, slumping sulkily. 'Ravenclaw nerd memorised that from the textbook,' she muttered to Jamie.

Professor Paisley seemed to have excellent hearing, for she looked at Sirius, a benign smile upon her lips. 'Something you'd care to share with us, Miss...?'

'Black,' snapped Sirius. 'And no, not really.'

At the name 'Black', the professor did the usual double-take, her eyes wandering over Sirius's grey eyes, black hair, and aristocratic features. 'You're in Gryffindor?' She seemed surprised.

'Yup. That's why I'm wearing a red tie and robes,' she said, tugging her gold and maroon tie.

Paisley chuckled. 'Sorry. I'm just surprised to see one of you in Gryffindor. You must be the first in centuries.' She gave Sirius an approving nod.

Sirius sat up straight in her seat. A grin was slowly spreading across her face. 'Reckon I am, aren't I? A fine way to break tradition,' she mused.

The professor stared at her. 'I take it you don't approve of some of the -- activities your family partake in?'

'It's a race between me and Dromeda to see how fast I can get blasted off the family tree,' Sirius joked. 'She's in Slytherin, but she's dating a Ravenclaw Muggleborn. If that isn't the biggest 'bugger you', then what is?'

Paisley chuckled. 'Maybe you'd make a fine addition to the Auror program someday, too. Tell me, is that something you'd like to do?'

Sirius nodded enthusiastically. 'Of course, Professor!'

'Me too!' Jamie said.

Professor Paisley looked gratified as students all over the classroom, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, echoed the cry.

'I can see we're going to have an excellent class this year.'

Jamie, Remus, and Petra all waited outside impatiently, whilst Sirius talked with Professor Paisley.

Petra chattered excitedly. 'She's so cool!'

Jamie nodded in agreement. 'She's even better than what everyone else said.'

'I want to be a teacher like her, someday,' Remus added.

'What? And teach a bunch of spoiled brats like us? She's an Auror, mate. That's what I want to be.' She stared off into the distance dreamily.

Remus smiled. 'Being an Auror sounds cool, but there's something about helping other people, and giving knowledge to them. I'd like to teach Defense, I think.'

Jamie clapped her shoulder. 'Well, I'm sure you'll get there one day, mate.'

Remus smiled crookedly. 'I hope so, too.'

'I think I'd be really great at being an Auror, don't you though? I've clearly got the talent. Professor Paisley said so,' Jamie said loudly. 

Remus looked at her oddly, wondering where that had suddenly come from. Then she spotted Lillian walking past with Alex Prewett, and it all clicked into place. Of course.

'I'm sure you do,' Remus said, trying not to snigger.

Lillian smirked at Remus. 'Great talent? That is, of course, only if you can move your fat head fast enough to catch a few Dark Wizards.'

He'd been joking with her, but Jamie took it seriously. 'If I'm not quite good enough at catching Dark Wizards now, maybe I can practice later with your girlfriend and her cronies.'

Lillian looked at her, and shadow of hurt in his eyes. 'What, in Merlin's name is wrong with you, Potter?'

And he stormed off, Alex Prewett in hot suit.

Jamie stared after him. 'Was it something I said?'

Remus closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She didn't bother replying.


	28. They're Only Children

It was pitch black in the Gryffindor dormitories. Petra and Jamie were snoring in synchrony, as usual. Frankie was talking rubbish as she tossed and turned, Remus was emmiting high-pitched whines in her sleep, and Sirius Black lay awake under the covers, restless.

Her mind kept going back to her chat with Paisley. She refused to tell anyone what they'd talked about, even Jamie...

But other than that chat, Sirius still really didn't know anything about Persephone Paisley. 

'Lumos.' The room was illuminated in pale, silvery light. The clock on the wall read one o'clock. Sirius sighed. 'Nox.'

She thumped back in bed heavily, and stared at the drapes above her vacantly.

'Sirius?' 

The black haired girl twisted around in her bed.

Remus was sitting up groggily, rubbing her eyes, her voice thick from sleep. 'What you doing awake? It must be -- what, after midnight?'

'It's one,' answered Sirius. 'Can't sleep.'

Remus cracked her neck, alarmingly loud. 'Ugh. Well now it seems, neither can I.'

'Sorry,' Sirius said quickly.

'S'not your fault.'

Neither of them said anything for a minute. Then Remus spoke. 'What say you we wake the rest, and do a little Maraudering?'

Sirius jumped in excitement. 'Of course! Why didn't I think of that? You get Petra and Frankie up, and I'll get Jamie. This one'll need help getting up.'

Remus nodded, and swiftly got to shaking Petra. Petra was up soon, blinking like a new born fawn, but Frankie simply would not get up.

'Bugger off!' she murmured sleepily, waving her hands about. 

She slapped Remus in the face. 'Ouch!' Remus exclaimed, jumping back. Frankie was already back fast asleep. 'She won't get up.'

Sirius dragged Jamie out of bed by her ears. 'Leave her, then. We'll just go. Grab your pillows, lasses!'

Yawning, the other three girls all grabbed their pillows, and slid down the slide silently, as Remus recited the charm. 'Glisseo!'

By now, they had mastered the art of going down without screaming or crashing into each other, but it was late, and Petra's coordination was off. Thump! She landed splat on top of Jamie, who let out a high pitched squeal, as the air was crushed out of her, and rolled sideways into an armchair. Several books toppled off the armrests, and a mug shattered loudly.

Sirius froze, gaping at their stupidity. 'Idiots! You're going to get us caught and put in detention!'

'Sorry,' Petra squeaked, as Jamie groaned, and rubbed her midsection.

Sirius looked at her darkly. 'Shouldn't have eaten so many Yorkshire puddings at supper, Potter.'

Jamie opened her mouth for an indignant retort, but shut it immediately as footsteps could be heard coming down the boy's dormitories stairs.

Remus kicked into action. 'Quick!' she hissed. 'Hide, you lot! Come on, get behind the armchairs!'

They all scrambled into action, ducking behind the plush sofas, and hoping to Merlin that the visitor didn't stay long. Petra breathed heavily with the effort of it.

The lot of them held their breath as the unknown boy walked closer. 

Jamie squeezed her eyes tightly shut, as the stranger stood directly behind her. She did not know if he could see her or not.

Lillian rolled his eyes, staring Jamie, whose hands were clasping her head protectively, like she thought it would make her less visible or something. He'd spotted her when he first came in, half of her sticking out behind the chair.

'Potter?' he asked sharply. 'Open your eyes and get up, please.'

Jamie stiffened at the familiar voice, and cautiously opened one eye to look up at him. 'How did you spot me?' she asked, sounding crestfallen.

'Even if your arse hadn't been right up in the air, and sticking half out, I would have seen you,' he answered scornfully.

All around him, more girls emerged from their hiding spots.

'Black? Pettigrew?' Lillian gawped in astonishment. 'What are you doing here? And what are you all doing awake?'

Jamie frowned in confusion. 'Good question. I'm not entirely sure what we're doing. Sirius, what are we doing?'

'What are you asking me for?' 

Jamie spluttered. 'You -- you're the one who--'

'Ask Remus!'

Remus thought for a minute. 'Kitchen raid,' she answered confidently.

Lillian looked flabbergasted. 'Are you mental? Security's wild at the moment; you're bound to get caught besides -- that isn't even the point! You shouldn't be doing it! It's against the rules!'

Sirius smirked. 'Dunno if you've noticed this by now, Evans darling, but we don't seem to have much regard for the rules, do we, ladies?'

Petra, Remus and Jamie cheered weakly.

Lillian looked absolutely disgusted. 'You should all go right back to bed.'

'Come with us,' Jamie suggested impulsively.

'What?'

'Come with us. It'll be a good adventure, and we can all have a picnic in the Common Room after. I meant the kitchens, not bed, by the way.'

Sirius sniggered loudly, and Remus bit her lip to hold in her laughter.

Lillian looked immediately wary. 'I remember what happened last time we had a picnic with Remus in charge. We got lost in the Forbidden Forest, met a bunch of homicidal centaurs, and witnessed the prophecy of the downfall of Hogwarts School. And, we didn't even get to eat properly. So, forgive me if I politely decline.'

Jamie's brown eyes twinkled in the half-light from the fire. 'Oh, come on, Evans. You know you want to. And we're breaking -- what? About six less school rules this time?' she counted on her fingers.

Remus sighed through her nose. She got to her feet, her joints cracking painfully. 'It'll be fun, Evans. And we won't get caught, as long as we stay out of Mrs. Norris's way, and Filch.'

Petra shuddered. 'Ugh. That demonic feline gives me the creeps.'

Sirius elbowed her. 'Everything gives you the creeps don't they? Don't know how you even got into Gryffindor.'

'Hey!'

Remus stepped in between the two of them. 'Don't fight now. You coming, Evans?'

Lillian looked torn. 'Fine. But if we get caught, you'd better have some A-class excuses ready for me.'

Jamie sniggered and bowed. 'The mischief makers are at your service, love.'

Lillian regarded her suspiciously. 'Don't be weird, Potter.'

'Weird is a state of mind.'

Lillian eyed him disparagingly. 'Clearly.'

Sirius rolled her eyes. 'Stop flirting, you two!' She scampered to the portait hole, and pushed it open.

'We're not flirting!' Lillian spluttered.

'Well, hurry on up, then!'

Lillian scoffed, but ran out of the portait hole.

The Fat Lady glared at Sirius. 'SHUT THE DAMN DOOR!' she screamed. 'I WILL NOT HAVE YOU RUNNING AROUND AT ALL HOURS LIKE A BEHEADED HIPPOGRIFF, IF YOU WON'T EVEN SHUT THE BLOODY DOOR!'

Sirius stuck her tongue out, and slammed the door shut violently, so that the picture wobbled. 

The Fat Lady glowered.

'Sorry about that,' Lillian apologised, once Sirius had danced on ahead.

He turned his head as Jamie called him. 'Come on, Evans! You're going to be left behind!'

Lillian looked regretfully at the Fat Lady. 'I'm sorry. Gotta go. Bye!'

He hurried swiftly after the four mischievous girls. 'Do you even know where the kitchens are?' he asked, panting.

Petra snorted. 'Of course I know where the kitchens are. Just look at me.'

Lillian didn't know what to say to this.

Sirius snorted. 'Oh, come on, Evans. You can laugh. It's alright, we're just messing around. Hard to look anywhere but her, isn't it?'

The five of them slipped down the staircases, waiting for them to move into the right places. Sirius cringed every time the stairs creaked and groaned, expecting Filch and his cat to pop up at every corner. 

Petra and Remus led the way for once, down the basement corridor that led to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

Sirius paused. 'Oi,' she hissed into the dark corridor. 'What are we doing here? I don't want to pay the Hufflepuffs a visit!'

Remus gave her a cross look. 'Shhh...'

She pointed to the walls, which Sirius noticed were lined with armour, and pictures of food. 'So?'

Sirius, Remus, Jamie and Lillian all watched in awe as Petra expertly tickled a painting of a pear in a large silver fruit bowl. It began to wheeze with laughter, until the portait finally swung aside, revealing an enormous, high-ceilinged room. It was as large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, illuminating the cheerful room.

There were dozens of House-Elves inside. 

Petra stepped inside without invitation, and gestured for the others to follow. She greeted the Elves warmly, clearly being well acquainted with them. 'Hello, Pinky, hello, Tizzy, hi, Danny...' 

They all immediately squeaked their greetings back, and began to load piles of delicious food and treats upon the five Gryffindors. 

It was only when all five of them were carrying so many snacks that they could not see over the pile, that Petra thanked the House-Elves, and left.

'We is all hoping you will come again, Master and Misses!' squeaked Pip hopefully, his bright eyes wide.

Remus nodded eagerly. 'Of course we will! And there's no need to call us Master and Misses,' she added kindly.

Even as they left the kitchens, waved off by dozens of satisfied Elves, Lillian could not help but feel just a bit guilty. 'Doesn't it feel a bit like stealing?' he whispered to Sirius.

Sirius shrugged as best as she could, under layers of goodies. 'Nah. They wanted to give it to us. Did you see how happy they were?'

Lillian chewed his lip thoughtfully, but did not argue. 

Lillian followed Remus around a dark corner. A suit of armour jumped out and saluted him, its arm falling off with a loud crash. Lillian jumped back wildly, food falling in torrents as he swerved back. 

Jamie swore loudly. 'Now you've done it. Quick, run!' she ordered, as Mrs. Norris came around the corner, her large, unsettling eyes focused on them.

She let out a loud meow, like a siren.

The five Gryffindors abandoned the fallen food, and ran.

Filch's shuffling footsteps were soon to be heard. 'What's the matter, my sweet?' he croaked, as Mrs. Norris meowed and purred loudly.

'Ruddy mangebag,' Sirius cursed, panting loudly. 'These legs were not made for late night escapades. Thanks a lot, Evans.'

Lillian flushed. 'You're the ones who invited me along! Just like last time. You're right. Maybe it is my fault. Next time, I'll know better than to agree.'

'Oh, stop arguing, you two! You sound like a bunch of old hags.' Jamie snapped. 'Save it for when we're safe back in the Common Room, away from Filch and his shaggy old sootbag.'

After they had ascended several flights of stairs, and Filch was left behind, Sirius had been beginning to think they were safe. She stood stock-still as footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway rapidly, and hushed whispers approached.

She flung open a broom closet. 'Quick! In here, you lot.'

They all darted in quickly, breathing heavily in the darkness. Sirius held back a squeal as something tickled her neck. She brushed it off hastily.

'We're near Dumbledore's office, I think.' Remus sounded utterly terrified, her eye pressed to the keyhole. 'If we're caught, we could be expelled. And if I'm not mistaken, one pair of those footsteps is Dumbledore's.'

Lillian's throat closed up. Imagine if they were caught, and Dumbledore expelled them! The look on Patrick's face would be almost too much to bear. His heart pounded so heavily in his chest, that he was surprised no one could hear it.

A shadow crossed the keyhole. 'McGonagall and Paisley, too,' Remus informed them. She let out a low whistle. 'Nice robes, as well.'

Sirius's brows drew together in confusion. 'Why?'

'I dunno! Maybe they were having a pajama party or something. I really like the whole 1800s nightgown and tartan crossover that's happening here.'

Sirius smacked her hand to her forehead. 'That's not what I meant, idiot! How sleep deprived are you? I mean, why are they here?'

Remus turned her head in annoyance. 'Well maybe shut up, and we can find out!'

Although Sirius itched to give her a sassy reply, she had to content herself with a murderous glower in the dark that could not be seen, anyway.

'What do you mean, they're talking to You-Know-Who?' McGonagall demanded. 'They're only children. Really, Albus!'

Sirius knelt down beside the keyhole and shoved Remus over. There was a brief struggle, and Sirius won.

Paisley's face was half hidden in shadow. She looked grim as one could, in purple velvet dressing robes, although she had nothing on McGonagall in all her tartan glory.

'It's entirely possible, I'm afraid, Minerva,' Professor Paisley said gently. 'They're certainly old enough, and it's what they think is right.'

Sirius felt a surge of admiration for this woman who dared to call Professor McGonagall by her first name.

McGonagall looked deeply disturbed. 'What does this mean, then? For them? For us?'

Dumbledore ran a hand through his beard, trying to think. 'Well, for one, we'll have to monitor the Floo Network. Cut it off completely for all students, I think.'

Professor Paisley nodded in agreement. 'I say we keep an eye on the Owl Post as well, and notify Horace as soon as possible.'

'Why would any student in Hogwarts want to contact He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?' asked McGonagall, her Scottish accent becoming more prominent under stress. 

'These are dark times we live in, Minerva,' Dumbledore answered gravely. 'When children are used as soldiers, and more evil men and women hide behind them. And you know how I feel about giving names to those who do not deserve them. We must stop Voldemort from having an influence over the students under my care.' 

Albus Dumbledore did not look an inch the friendly old kook Sirius had taken him for. His eyes no longer held a merry twinkle, instead they were cold and hard, glittering harshly like a diamond. Sirius felt that if she were the Dark Lord, she would have turned tail and ran the other way immediately.

Professor McGonagall froze as she heard loud raucous singing from not far off.

Paisley paused to listen, before turning back to Dumbledore. 'It's just Peeves.' A small smile played upon her lips.

McGonagall closed her eyes, and pinched the bridge of her nose. 'That blasted poltregeist. Honestly, Albus, I don't know why you keep him around!'

Dumbledore allowed himself a small chuckle. 'In times like these, sometimes we all need a good laugh.'

'Peeves is a wee bit more than a laugh, I'd say,' Professor McGonagall retorted, as Peeves could be heard tormenting Filch in the distance, and cackling in glee.

Paisley snorted. 'Can't argue with that.'

'Nevertheless, I suggest we take this to my office,' murmured Dumbledore.

'I agree,' Professor Paisley said, trying very hard not to laugh at Filch's yells of rage, and Peeves's cackles as something broke, and Mrs. Norris yowled.

When the three teacher's footsteps had receeded, the five children gasped for air, and sat down heavily against the cupboard's walls.

Jamie rushed them all out before they could relax. 'Quickly! While Filch is distracted.'

They ran the rest of the way to Gryffindor Tower, not once looking behind them.

'Open sesame,' Remus panted at the Fat Lady.

' 'Open sesame' indeed,' she grumbled back, not at all amused by the late hour.

Sitting in the chairs before the fire, the five of them began to share out the snacks. 

'So what was that all about?' Petra asked shakily, shoving a handful of crackers into her mouth for emotional support.

Sirius glowered murderously. 'Slytherins. Always the ruddy Slytherins. And I bet Malfoy's right in the thick of it.'

Lillian could not find it in himself to argue. 'So Dumbledore thinks a bunch of school kids are making contact with the darkest wizard who ever lived through fireplaces? Unlikely,' he said, having a rather unpleasant visual of the Dark Lord disguised as Father Christmas, squeezing his way down the chimney.

'Trust me,' Jamie assured him. 'My mum's side of the family are all Dark Wizards, and you should hear some of the things she tells me.'

'My parents are Dark Wizards,' Sirius said shortly. 'I know first hand what they're capable of.'

She stared into the fireplace, her grey eyes flickering with flames. 'And one thing I know for sure is that the Dark Lord would love to have control over Hogwarts. And we can't let him.'


	29. Against the Dark Lord's Wishes

For the past few days, Lillian had purposefully avoided Severa. He knew that she was at least vaguely aware of some of the more illicit goings-on in Slytherin House. He was even more appalled that she hadn't seen fit to tell him that the older students were chatting to Lord Voldemort in the fire place.

However, by Sunday, Lillian decided that enough was enough. He couldn't very well ignore Severa for the rest of his life. Besides, she was still his best friend. The only way to get around it was to go up to her and confront her about it.

Who knew? Maybe, by some miracle, Severa would be completely oblivious, or perhaps she had an excellent reason for not telling him.

He could only hope, and pray that Slytherin wasn't as bad as the other Gryffindors made it out to be. If they were as bad, he hoped that Severa hadn't been influenced badly by them. Severa had made it seem like Slytherin was the only Hogwarts house worth trying for. Lillian had often dreamt of what it would be like, being Sorted into Slytherin with his best friend.

Now that Lillian was at Hogwarts, and had seen both Slytherin and Gryffindor first-hand, he wasn't quite so sure that Severa had been entirely right, and he often thought of how difficult it would have been for him in Slytherin, as a Muggleborn, in these times.

He sat curled on the night stand by the window, which was slightly misted over from the cool morning air, and grabbed a blank piece of parchment, shoving aside the stack of returned letters that he'd sent to Patrick. 

Not one of them had even been opened. Not one. Lillian wasn't so sure his parents were even receiving his letters either, because whilst they hadn't been sent back like Patrick's, it didn't seem like they were getting them either. At any rate, Lillian had received no news from them whatsoever. 

Fumbling around in the drawer for a quill, and trying not to wake his sleeping dorm-mates turned out to he quite the chore. Alex Prewett was not known to be the sweetest of souls when woken up before seven o'clock.

Lillian let out a hiss of triumph when his fingers closed about a quill, only to curse in disappointment when he discovered there was no ink to be found. Bleeding wizards and their ruddy quills! 

Why couldn't they just bloody use biros or even just simple ball points? It would make life a ton easier for everyone, and there was absolutely no reason not to, even if it went against Hogwarts' "aesthetic".

Wizards really needed to get over themselves, and realise that not every idea was bad, just because it came from a Muggle. Cars were a Muggle idea, and plenty of wizards used those. They'd probably claim that the Muggles had stolen it, though.

Lillian revolved to bring back a ton of normal pens back with him when he returned from the Christmas Holidays, and sod anyone who had any critisism to make of it.

Lillian spat on the end of his quill to get whatever ink was left on it running, and began his letter to Severa. The writing was jagged and crooked, and the sound of the dry quill scraping against the parchment grated on Lillian's sanity, but it was an important letter, so he kept going.

Dear Severa,   
I realise that we haven't spoken in many days, and I'm really sorry about that. I'll explain everything to you as soon as I can. Meet me on the grounds after lunch?

Your friend always, Lillian.

Lillian went over the letter several times, reading it over and over again in his head, until it was finally deemed satisfactory, and unproblematic enough for her friend.

Finally, he folded it up in an envelope, and crept out of the dormitory in silence to sneak up to the Owlery, and have a letter delivered.

Lillian waited by the marble staircase, twisting the ends of his scarf in impatience. Students came out the Great Hall, chattering, and Lillian noted that Potter and her gang were up to no good somewhere on the grounds as usual. Lunch was well over, and Severa should have been here by now. Lillian began to panic. 

What if she hadn't recieved his owl? Or what if one of those dangerous older Slytherins had intercepted it, and were 'teaching Severa a lesson' right now? What if Severa just didn't want to come?

His questions were all answered when he spotted Severa laughing loudly with Avery. Lillian smiled blankly at Severa as she came down the stairs. His eyes met Avery's for a split second, and he shuddered at the sheer hatred he saw flicker there for a second.

Severa returned Lillian's ghastly grin with a grimace that made her look as if she were caught in a sandstorm. 'Hullo, Lils.'

'Sev,' Lillian returned shortly. He fell into a brisk walk gesturing for Severa to come with him. Severa followed with an air of confusion.

'Is something the matter?' she asked hesitantly.

Lillian cast a bleak look back at her, but did not answer. He continued walking until they were well out of sight of the front doors. 

Severa wondered what she had done wrong this time.

Lillian turned on her a swift, pounce-like motion. 'I know everything!' he said fiercely. 

Severa recoiled at his sudden motion. She blinked. 'I'm sorry?' 

'I said, I know everything!' repeated Lillian, his eyes fiery. 'I know all of it, so there's no point in hiding anything from me,' he said in a slightly calmer tone. Despite this, he still looked rather insane, his eyes alight with a manic fire.

'I'm afraid that I still have absolutely no idea what you're talking about,' Severa replied coolly.

Lillian took a deep breath. He raised his chin to look Severa in the eye. 'You're sure?'

Severa's stony black gaze gave away nothing. 

'Okay. Well, a few days ago, me and a few other trusted individuals were headed to the kitchens for a late snack, and we overheard McGonagall, Paisley and Dumbledore having a conversation outside the broomstick cupboard we were hiding in.'

'Go on.'

Severa could not help but briefly wonder if it had been Potter whom Lillian had gone on this escapade with. She dismissed the thought immediately. Lillian hated Potter.

'Anyway,' Lillian continued, 'It turns out that Paisley's not here to teach, but that she's really here on investigative work for the Aurors.'

'So Mulciber was right,' mused Severa. 'I suspected as much.'

Lillian's eyes narrowed. 'So you do know something. Tell me what that snot rag Mulciber said. Exactly.'

Severa blinked at Lillian's intense and commanding tone. 'Is there some sort of problem? I mean, what exactly are you getting at?' she asked, her temper beginning to rise as she saw what Lillian was trying to say.

Lillian swallowed. He lifted his chin to hide any signs of trepidation. 'I think there's something going on with the older Slytherins, and I think you know exactly what it is. And I'm not sure I even want to know why you won't tell me.'

Severa's lip curled. 'And what exactly is it that you think is going on?' She kept her voice carefully steady, to hide the slight tremor in her words. She was picking up a slight air of mistrust coming from Lillian. Could it be that her powers of Legilimency were actually real, and that she wasn't just crazy?

'Dumbledore said that the Seventh Years are contacting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named through the fire place, with Floo Powder.'

Severa blanched, and visibly reeled, before quickly recovering herself. 'Fire place? Floo Powder?' she scoffed hastily. 'The Dark Lord? You're mental. You're absolutely mental.'

Lillian's fists clenched. 'I am not! I heard Dumbledore say it himself. And I know you're hiding something.' He glared hotly at Severa.

Severa returned it with an equally fearsome glower. 'Very well. If you must know the truth about Mulciber... Paisley put his Aunt and Uncle in Azkaban years ago. They've been rotting there ever since. It's evident why Mulciber doesn't like her. I'm not too keen on her myself. But I certainly don't know anything about any wild conspiracies with the Dark Lord throwing teaparties in the fire place. Any more wild accusations to throw my way? Perhaps you'd like an invitation to the Troll birthday party we're holding in the Prefects Toilet next Tuesday.'

Lillian eyed Severa up and down, trying to assess whether he should trust her or not. 'No. But I still don't feel like you're telling me the whole truth. You're keeping things from me, and I don't like it.'

Severa felt her ears grow hot with annoyance. 'I do have my own life, you know! We're friends of course, best friends, but I'll always have my secrets, and you'll always have yours! And you've got to realise that!'

'Secrets?' demanded Lillian. 'Like what?' 

'Creeping around the school at night, eavesdropping on teachers' private conversations!' exploded Severa. 'This is probably the reason why they don't go around telling stupid little first years! Because they're going to go and get the wrong end of the broom like you, and walk around throwing accusations in every other direction!'

'OI!' Lillian bellowed. 'Who are you calling stupid?' 

Severa looked away and shrugged, not having the energy for this. 'All I'm saying is, we both have secrets. And we both have our friends. I'm not poking my nose into your business, and interfering with your affairs, and you needn't interfere with mine.'

'Mine most probably don't involve befriending allies of the Darkest wizard to ever walk this Earth,' Lillian said coldly.

Severa rolled her eyes. 'Mulciber and Avery are First Years, who are redoing the year, and not for the first time either. They're hardly likely to be allies of the Dark Lord. Trust me on this.'

'So what? So they're stupid little Firsties today, like us. What happens when they get older? When they're, say, seventeen, and they rather fancy following in Mummy and Daddy's footsteps, and joining their precious Dark Lord?' Lillian said, mocking the reverent way in which the Slytherins said Voldemort's name. 'What are you going to do then? They'll expect you to join them, you know. Who will you choose? Us? Or them?'

Severa recoiled at Lillian's vicious speech. She'd never thought Lillian would truly believe her being capable of actually joining the Dark Lord. 'I - I -'

Lillian sighed, speaking more gently. 'Look. All I'm saying is, you're falling in with bad company. And you need to he careful. Is there honestly anything you want to tell me?'

'Mulciber and Avery can hardly be considered "friends", and no, there is honestly nothing I can, or would like to share with you.'

Lillian looked at his friend, pity showing in the green eyes Severa remembered from summers long ago, by the pond, spent in ignorance and bliss. 'Fine. Be like that then,' Lillian said sadly. He stared miserably at the girl whom he felt he no longer knew anymore, and then turned on his heel, storming off.

Severa watched him go, her head drooping like a wilted flower. 

She wished things could be different. She wanted to tell him the truth. She really did. She knew it. All of it. 

The Seventh Years were in the habit of making several criminal calls from the Common Room fireplace, and quite a few of the Slytherin population were aware of this. 

There was a reason it wasn't common news though. Severa shivered. She could still feel Lucius Malfoy's cold, pale fingers closing around her shoulder and she could still hear the echoes of what he'd whispered in her ear that night.

If Dumbledore and Paisley really did know what Lucius and his gang were upto, then Lucius must never think it was Severa who had told their secrets. 

For Severa had something to lose, something far more precious than any riches or material object in this world. And the Dark Lord could certainly take that away from her if he ever believed that she had gone against his wishes. 

She closed her eyes and pictured Lillian on the swing in the park, his copper red hair flying out behind him in the wind. He laughed loudly in ecstacy, the sun hitting his face and turning his eyes a shade of emerald, as he swung up, and then down...


	30. To Protect Him

There were still a few days to go until Hallowe'en, but the air was filled with the delicious scent of baking pumpkins, which could be smelt from all over the grounds.

Filch was to be seen dragging decorations all over the castle, grumbling and groaning as he did it. Sirius and Peeves took the greatest delight in sabotaging Filch's work, and causing mischief and mayhem all over the castle.

Jamie of course, had bigger plans though. She, Remus, Sirius, and even Petra and Frankie put their heads together to come up with a prank of epic proportions. 'We're going to go down in History as legends!' Jamie had exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air, snapping her fingers loudly. 

'Even Binns couldn't ruin this,' Sirius had agreed, smirking, as she and Jamie high-fived.

Remus had a very disturbing vision of ghostly old Professor Binns floating through the blackboard, and teaching their legacy to a bunch of impressionable young wizards and witches. Not for the first time, she wondered if this was such a good idea.

It was because of this, that the five of them were scattered all over the castle at midnight, when they all should have been in bed. 

The inspiration behind this prank was Professor Paisley's recent lesson on Boggarts. Despite the fact that it was often a topic covered in later years, Paisley had thought it was a good subject to cover, especially as it was so close to Hallowe'en. Remus stifled a chuckle, thinking that if Professor Paisley could see them now, she might have to rethink that.

A few corridors down, Sirius was also thinking. She'd seen plenty of Boggarts before. In a massive, magical house such as that of her family's, it was nearly impossible to avoid seeing a Boggart at least once.

Her parents had always dealt with the Boggart swiftly, getting rid of it before Sirius and Regula could get too worked up, over their petty little fears such as mummies or spiders. Now, Sirius wasn't so sure what her greatest fears would be. Even though she was vastly inexperienced with dealing with Boggarts, counting Paisley's lesson in as well, she was sort of glad to be on her own. 

She jumped as the visor on a suit of armour clattered shut to her left. 

'Shut it!' she growled, aiming her wand light at its head. The suit of armour saluted to her amicably.

Sirius lowered her wand, and continued on.

Jamie approached the rattling cabinet in the trophy room with trepidation. She wasn't sure of what she'd find. Perhaps it would be as stupid or simple, like a big spider or a clown. Or maybe it would be something unknown, but far more terrible. 

Jamie didn't know. She'd never really faced anything too horrible in her life, living a sheltered, protected life with Euphemia and Fleamont Potter. She'd most definitely never faced anything that could be classified as 'her worst fear'.

She almost wished she hadn't split off from Frankie and Petra. The original idea had been to all separate and cover as much ground as possible. They would need a lot of Boggarts for what they had in mind. But Petra hadn't wanted to be wandering around the castle alone at night before Hallowe'en, and Frankie hadn't really minded, so the two of them had left Jamie and gone off together. 

Sirius and Remus were Merlin knows where, but they were probably having an easier go of it than Jamie. Remus's father worked with supernatural creatures, and he specialised in Boggarts, so Remus was to be expected to have retained some skill from him. And Sirius was afraid of nothing. 

It was harder work than it sounded, finding Boggarts, thought Jamie. But if the prank all went to plan, it would well be worth it.

The box rattled again, and Jamie stepped forward, hesitating...

'Stop!' Sirius puffed, bursting into the room, Remus at her heels.

Jamie whirled around in surprise. 'What? Why?'

Sirius leaned heavily against the doorframe, catching her breath. 'We should --' she panted, 'we should do it -- together.'

Remus nodded from behind her. 'She's right. It confuses the Boggart. Poor bugger doesn't know what to turn into. It's lucky Peeves told us where you were without making a fuss. We had to bribe him with a share in the prank at the Feast.'

Jamie chewed her lip. 'Together, then?' 

The three of them drew their wands, aiming at the shaking cabinet. 

'On three!' Remus ordered. 'One, two, three!'

She waved her wand at the cabinet, and the door burst open.

All three of them jumped back with a squeal of terror, as a tall, pale, man with burnt red eyes, and a snake like face stepped out, and unfolded himself before them. He looked like he was supposed to be handsome, but his features were all blurred and oddly twisted so that it was difficult to directly look at him. Dark Magic was thick in the very air around him.

He stared down at Jamie, a smile that more resembled a sneer creeping over his mouth. 'Potter...' he whispered eerily. 'We meet at last. I've simply been dying to meet you and your family. Perhaps... perhaps I'll pay your parents a little visit.'

Jamie paled, but stepped forward, shaking with fear and anger. 'Don't you dare lay one finger on my family, you snake!' 

Remus exchanged glances with Sirius, who seemed just as petrified as Jamie. 'It's not real, Jamie! It's just trying to scare you! It feeds off your fear.'

Jamie was frozen though, staring at the Dark Lord standing before her. 

Remus sighed. 'Riddikulus!'

Instantly, the Dark Lord was robed in Jamie's duck pyjamas, with a long tissue paper chain of colourful flowers around his neck and lying upon his chest. He looked like an evil Hawaiian tourist. All of them laughed loudly.

The Boggart turned to Remus. A shard of icy fear lanced through Remus's chest as the Boggart gave a crack, and became a mini replica of the full moon. She could almost feel it's usual ache and tug at her bones. She only hoped Jamie and Sirius hadn't registered what it was. 

'Riddikulus!' she cried again.

Immediately, it turned into a large hunk of cheese with angelic wings. Remus smiled in relief and snickered.

But the battle wasn't over yet. The Boggart turned to Sirius at last. Remus and Jamie watched in dismay as it split into two people, once bulky and staunch, one tall and thin. 

The tall woman had a cruel pinched look to her face, and a hairstyle that looked far too tight. The man was paunchy and scowling. Both could have been good looking if it weren't for the looks on their faces. 

They bent over Sirius menacingly. Sirius scrambled back, cowering. 'I'm sorry,' she cried. 'I'm sorry!'

They encroached upon her. 'Filth! Filth!' the woman spat. 'You mixed with filth and Mudbloods. You bring shame upon the Noble House of Black!'

'You are unworthy,' hissed the man. 'Too dark for them, too filthy for us.'

With a sinking feeling in her chest, Remus realised that the two people bore a distinct resemblance to Sirius.

Sirius had the same regal bone structure as the woman, and the piercing gray eyes and hair the two of them shared. These had to be Walburga and Orion Black, respectively. Sirius's parents.

Jamie and Remus watched in horror as Sirius's parents drew in on her, hurling down abuse and insults. 

Jamie's jaw set, and she caught Remus's eye. 'RIDDIKULUS!' the two of them roared together.

The Boggart wheeled around, confused as all three of the students surrounded it. It cracked, and turned into the front half of a gigantic slug, writhing around gooily. 

'EUGH!' Jamie screeched, flapping her arms in disgust as the slug covered her in a load of sticky slime.

Remus laughed. 'Well, that's one Boggart down. If we want to have even half as many as we planned, we'd better get a shift on.'

She turned to capture the Boggart in a smaller container she'd got Olivia Barnsworth to perform an Undetectable Extension Charm on. 

She heard a whimper from behind her. Sirius was still sitting on the floor, her arms wrapped around her folded knees. Her eyes were wide and traumatised, as she stared straight ahead in distress.

Remus swiftly swept the Boggart into the container, and joined Jamie at Sirius's side. She put her arm around Sirius's shivering body.

Jamie was unusually gentle, she noticed. She had dropped her usual, arrogant, don't-care façade, and in its place, was a gentle, caring friend. 'Were those your parents?' Jamie asked in a soothing tone.

Sirius nodded blankly. 'They haven't written to me since I was Sorted into Gryffindor.

Jamie's voice grew harder. 'Well sod them, yeah? You don't need them. You have us. No one cares what they think about us, or if you're in Gryffindor. Being in Gryffindor is an honour. Means you have courage,' said Jamie fiercely, snapping her fingers again.

Remus nodded vigorously. 'And we're the best bunch of mad, maraudering, Mudblood filth you'll ever meet in your life. Don't listen to those boring old wankers. Bugger them.'

Sirius nodded, and wiped her hand over her eyes roughly, getting to her feet shakily. 'Yeah, bugger them,' she echoed weakly. 

She noticed Jamie and Remus watching her like she was about to collapse. 'Well? What are you looking at! An hour, and this is the only Boggart we've found?' she gestured at Remus's box contemptuously. 'This sort of thing can't happen every time we capture another one. If we want this thing to work, we'd better get a move on!'

Jamie looked heartened at Sirius's abrupt change in mood. 'You're right.'

'Let's get looking then,' prompted Remus. 'I somehow really doubt that Petra and Frankie have found more than us.'

By the end of that night, the castle was swarming with Boggarts in all locations. Remus, Frankie, Jamie, Petra, and Sirius were all positively bursting with glee. Somehow, despite Remus's protests, most of the Boggarts could be found in the Slytherin quarters, or in areas near the dungeons. 

It was in the early hours of the morning, when the five Gryffindors snuck back into their dormitories, exhausted, but happy. 

It wasn't going to be an easy morning for any of them. Sirius was very tempted to just skive of first lesson, whatever it was. Frankie definitely would not be attending the first two lessons. She was already half asleep as it were. Lucky for Remus, she was accustomed to such late hours, having to creep out at all hours to the Shack.

Fabian Prewett, who had just crept into the Common Room right before the five rowdy girls had, watched from behind an armchair with a silent chuckle, as they all stomped up the stairs loudly, gloating and laughing noisily. 

He made a note to inform his brother that their legacy would live on through the maraudering first years after he and his twin had graduated. Their careers as pranksters had not been in vain. But they would certainly have to rise to meet the new competition.

Speaking of graduation, Fabian sat down heavily on his cushions, wondering what would become of his wayward Slytherin lover once he was out from under the safety of Dumbledore's watchful eye. Already, at Hogwarts, the Dark Lord had an influence over him. 

Fabian knew that it was entirely possible that they would never have a future together. His heart twisted at the thought of Antonin forced to become a slave of the Dark Lord, to protect his sister. These were dark times. He also knew that he shouldn't be so close to somebody so heavily influenced the Voldemort, but it was easier said than done. 

With a heavy heart Fabian stared into the fire, torn between doing the right thing, and telling Dumbledore, or doing what his heart told him: to protect Antonin, and keep him safe with his silence. Either choice was impossible, and both had disastrous consequences. 

The real question that echoed in Fabian's mind was: would he be that selfish? Would he choose to fight Voldemort, or would he choose Antonin?


	31. The Hallowe'en Feast

Jamie shifted around on her bench in the Great Hall, as she waited for Dumbledore to get on with his speech. It was the day of the Hallowe'en Feast, and the past few days had been absolutely hectic. The prank had gone fabulously.

Screams had filled the halls of Hogwarts, and students had been sent to the Hospital Wing for shock regularly.

Jamie tuned out of Dumbledore's speech, and stared at the decorations covering the walls. Thousands of live bats, Transfigured by the older years, floated about, oversized jack o'lanterns hung from the stormy ceiling, and gigantic spiderwebs were suspended from either side of the Hall to the other. Jamie even thought she caught sight of a many legged, hairy beast scuttling from one web to another. She shivered at the thought of enormous spiders roaming freely around Hogwarts.

Sirius elbowed her sharply, dragging her away from her daydreams. 'Wake up, you git,' Sirius hissed lowly. 'Dumbles is talking about--' she lowered her voice and looked about cautiously, '--about You Know What.'

'Huh?' Jamie asked, her nose wrinkling in confusion.

Sirius rolled her eyes. 'Just pay attention.'

Remus, Frankie, and Petra were also looking quite worried. 

'I don't wanna be expelled!' Petra said frantically, as Remus tugged her down in her seat and put her hand firmly over Petra's mouth.

'Sit down,' she said firmly, 'And be quiet, or you're going to get us all caught, and then we'll really be expelled.'

Petra paled, and shut up, but she still looked nauseous.

Up by the podium, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled mischievously. 'It has come to my attention... that as of late, several pranks, which, I am entirely sure, were not done with malicious intent, have been causing disruption amongst both students and staff alike.'

Jamie grinned round at her friends.

Lillian glared at them suspiciously.

Dumbledore continued on a more serious note. 'However, despite the prankster's noble intent, I must ask that you stop and consider the consequences of such pranks. Poor Madam Pomfrey is running off her feet trying to procure enough remedy and treat students who have been exposed to these pranks.'

'I sort of feel really guilty,' Remus whispered.

'Don't be such a pansy,' Sirius hissed back. 

Jamie swallowed, suddenly aware of Severa's cold gaze on the back of her neck. She turned around and made a face at Severa to cover her unease.

'What must also be taken into consideration,' Dumbledore continued gravely, his eyes passing over the Gryffindor table, 'is that a Boggart shows are deepest, darkest, and most desperate fears. These are things that we would not want others to know. And it is your right to keep these secrets from others; your right to privacy. By making these fears public, you are violating the sanctity and privacy of my students, and this is not something I will tolerate.'

Sirius shivered at how fierce Dumbledore looked. For once, the Slytherins were agreeing with Dumbledore, nodding along gratefully. They looked the most frazzled. Sirius frowned. Perhaps she and Jamie shouldn't have put so many Boggarts in that area. And Dumbledore did have a point. It wasn't fair to the students or Madam Pomfrey.

Remus sank down low in her seat, wishing the earth would swallow her up. She didn't know why she'd ever agreed to such a thing. Imagine what could have happened if someone had tricked her like that, and figured out her secret through the form her Boggart took. Perhaps other students had secrets to hide, too. Even secrets like Sirius's.

Dumbledore was absolutely right. They'd had no right to do that, and it was a violation of the other students's privacy and peace of mind.

Even Jamie looked guilty, flushed and looking down.

She noticed Fabian Prewett staring very hard at the lot of them, and turned away, trying not to look like she was responsible for the havoc caused.

Dolores Umbridge stood up to give a pompous little round of applause at Dumbledore's speech. She looked distinctly frazzled. That, at least, Jamie didn't feel bad about. And to be honest, none of them did.

A ripple of laughter went through the Hall as people noticed that someone had hexed her jumper to read 'stupid, fat toad'. Nobody at her table had bothered to tell her. It seemed that even the Slytherins didn't really like her.

Dolores touched her face in bewilderment, trying to find out what was so funny. Moira Selwyn finally took pity on her, and tugged her down roughly in her seat. 'Your jumper. Somebody's gone and hexed it.'

Dolores twisted around. 'Let me see,' she demanded.

Moira shook her head, not wanting Dolores to be hurt. 'There's no need for that. Come on, now. Take it off, and give it to me, so that we can fix it.'

Dolores shrugged the jumper off, ignoring Moira. Her eyes welled up with angry tears. 'Potter,' she muttered. 'I'll ruddy get that flea bitten mange sack one day. This is just her petty revenge for what I did to that Mudblood the other day.'

'What? What did you do?' asked Moira sharply.

Dolores was spared from answering by the arrival of Narcissa Black, who had taken pity on her. 'Give it here,' she drawled lazily, beckoning at the jumper. Moira shoved it roughly into her hands, not looking at Dolores. 

Narcissa cursed the words off Dolores's jumper, and handed it back to her, looking bored. 

Over at the Gryffindor table, Jamie high-fived Sirius. 'Nice one, mate.'

'Ruddy toad deserved it, didn't she?' Sirius looked across the Great Hall go where Dolores was sulking, and winked flamboyantly at her.

Dolores made a face back. Sirius shuddered and turned away. 'Could do with a makeover too, now that I come to think of it.'

Remus could not help but laugh, remembering what Dolores had done to her.

Sirius looked up at the staff table, and then looked away quickly as she saw McGonagall staring down stonily at her.

'Nice costume, Snape!' she yelled, standing up, and cupping her hands around her mouth. 'You make a very convincing greasy twat!'

Dumbledore had finally stepped down from the podium. The food had appeared, a lavish spread that everybody was looking forward to tucking into.

He was about to begin the feast, but paused as he heard an odd rushing sound coming from outside. He tilted his head to the side, as did the entire Hall, trying to figure out what the noise was.

If you listened closely, you could also hear mad cackling, and angry screaming. The sound drew nearer and nearer, until the wide oak doors flew open, and Peeves zoomed in, clad in one of McGonagall's tartan nightgowns, which was far too large for him. 

McGonagall stood up and gasped.

Peeves was screaming in delight, and as he zoomed around the Great Hall, he slammed open the visor of every suit of armour he passed. The screaming turned out to be Filch, who was in hot suit. 'RUDDY -- POLTREGEIST! I'LL - HAVE - YOU - OUT - OF - THE - CASTLE - NOW!'

This only caused Peeves to laugh harder. Sirius paled. 'Humping horny Hippogriffs!' she exclaimed in dismay.

Jamie looked panicked. 'What?' 

'I said Peeves could have a part in our plan... it seems that he's taken that to heart. I didn't plan this at all.'

Out of the suits of armour were exploding dozens of undescribable demons and horrors of all sorts.

Screams erupted from the students, as Boggarts of all shapes and sizes swooped at them, rapidly changing form to whatever they thought would frighten that person the most.

Several Lord Voldemorts were walking around, wands outstretched.

One Ravenclaw boy fainted in horror as the Dark Lord closed in on him.

Sirius moaned faintly, as she sank to the ground. 'Nooooooo... this wasn't part of the plan at all... I'm going to be bloody expelled for this! Ruddy Peeves...'

Jamie stared at her in bewilderment, as she dodged Peeves, who was at the head of a swarm of angry Doxies, enjoying every last moment.

McGonagall's sharp eyed scanned the Hall, and narrowed immediately when she saw the first years. She whispered with Dumbledore for a minute, before striding through the chaos, blasting a few Acromantula to bits, and seizing the First Year girls, not including Frankie.

'Come with me,' she ordered briskly.

Sirius felt sick with dread. Jamie eyed her anxiously, not knowing what was going on. Remus felt terrible, too. Dumbledore had already gone so far as to allow her a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like she was a human being just like the rest of them, and she'd gone and introduced more monstrosities into his school. She was contaminating it with her filth. Her head hung low.

McGonagall led them up to the podium. 'I think we've found our culprits,' she said firmly.

Dumbledore looked them up and down, his gaze filled with disappointment. Then, he turned back to the chaotic Hall. 'SILENCE!' he bellowed.

'Prefects will lead you back to your dormitories. I sincerely apologise for the ruination of your evening. I and sure you, the culprits will be severely punished.'

Sirius turned green, and Petra looked faint. Remus was leaning heavily on Jamie, who seemed to be the only one who was taking this well.

Professor Paisley and McGonagall were busy ridding the Hall of Boggarts, and assisting the Prefects with the evacuation of the area. 

The whole school was trying to murder the four girls with their eyes. They'd ruined the whole evening for everyone, it seemed. They were certainly not going to be popular for a while. 

Slughorn nodded at the Bloody Baron to deal with Peeves, who was still having the time of his life in McGonagall's night gown. His cackles echoed into the distance as he was driven away, and the Hall was emptied, but in ruins.

Food was scattered everywhere, and the decorations were all torn.

The four guilty students were left alone in the Hall with the teachers.

Professor Paisley in particular looked disappointed. 'When I taught you about Boggarts, this was not in the least what I expected from you four,' she said softly. 'I taught you to defend, not attack.'

Jamie tried to argue. 'It wasn't --'

Dumbledore held up a hand, looking very old and tired, all of a sudden. 'I am not in the mood to hear any more excuses. My speech to the school earlier applies. I hope you four understand the gravity of what you have done. I am extremely disappointed in all of you. I expected better from all of you.'

'I'm still not sure why, though,' McGonagall muttered angrily.

Dumbledore ignored her. 'That will be fifty points from Gryffindor. You are all banned from the Hallowe'en feasts until further notice, and you will all assist Mr. Filch in cleaning up the mess you all helped to make.'

Jamie groaned, and tried to protest.

Professor McGonagall looked at her sharply. 'Miss. Potter, you'd better be careful I don't make it another fifty each. I'd say you're all lucky not to be expelled!'

'Professor McGonagall, as usual, does have a point. There is a fine line between good humour and malice. And you must be careful not to cross it. Tonight was something I wish to never see a repeat of.' Dumbledore looked at all of them over the edge of his half-moon spectacles, making them feel as if they were being x-rayed, as the Muggles liked to call it.

Sirius raised her hand in an uncharacteristic display of timidness. She sensed excuses would not be accepted, so she would have to take the blame. 'Excuse me, Professor Dumbledore, sir. I'm the one to blame here. None of my classmates knew about this.'

Professor Dumbledore looked bemused. 'But surely you couldn't have done this all alone.'

'I won't lie, I had help in finding the Boggarts, but releasing them all into the Hall was Peeves's idea, and I'm afraid to say I may have inadvertently helped him with it.'

Dumbledore eyed the other three. 'Very well. You three, off to your tower. Miss. Black, you, Professor McGonagall, and I are going to discuss this is my office.'

When Sirius returned to Gryffindor Tower that night, amidst all the booing and jeering for how she had ruined the feast, it was a very changed Sirius.

'It wasn't even our ruddy idea!' Jamie said, trying to make Sirius feel better. 'It was all bloody Peeves. It's too bad Dumbles wouldn't listen to reason. It was very noble of you to take the blame like that.'

Sirius stalked past her grumpily, hopping into bed. 'Yeah, well, I'm sure any of you would have done the same for me.'


	32. Bedroom Quidditch

Sirius and her friends spent the next few days scrubbing cauldrons in the Potions department, and helping Slughorn and Madam Pomfrey brew and administer potion for shock to the students most affected by Sirius's stupid prank. 

Jamie was furious with Sirius. She had immediately forgotten Peeves's involvement, as it was easier to blame Sirius. In her opinion, the original idea to hide Boggarts discreetly across the castle, in such a way that it could have been coincidental was a good idea, but dumping the lot of them in the Great Hall to terrorise the whole school in front of the teachers was not. Everyone still hated them for that, by the way.

As Remus scrubbed out a cauldron on a Sunday evening, feeling woozy from the effects of the full moon and the suffocating smell of Potions on her post-moon nose, she had to agree with Jamie to some extent.

'Bloody prat,' growled Jamie as Sirius rinsed out empty phials of old crusted up Potions. 

Sirius flushed, but did not answer. She returned to her work with extra vigour, trying to ignore Jamie, and make it up to them. It was her birthday, but she wasn't about to let Jamie know, especially now that this had happened.

The full moon of November had come, and it was not quite as bad as it had been the first month, seeing as the wolf had become more accustomed to its new surroundings, but it was still worse than the second. Remus dutifully wrote to her parents every week, but she had not mentioned Sirius nearly discovering her. It would be disastrous so early in the term, barely even three moons in yet.

When her dorm-mates had asked where she was going, Remus had replied that her mother was sick. Frankie, Petra, and Jamie had offered their condolences, and had passed on their well wishes, but Sirius had just narrowed her eyes, watching Remus suspiciously. This was the third time Remus was mysteriously disappearing like this.

Sitting on the dusty floor of the Shrieking Shack that cold night, Remus had plenty of time to overthink, until she was convinced that coming to Hogwarts was a complete mistake. Especially with her current year mates. 

There was Dolores Umbridge in Slytherin, whose family was obsessed with persecuting half-breeds, and setting new restrictions and laws against them. There was also Sirius Black, who, although she seemed decent enough, came from one of the most dangerous and influential pureblood houses in Europe, and even she couldn't possibly open her heart to a werewolf. The rest, though were either too stupid or not bothered enough to try and find out.

Then the light of the moon hit her, and her mind was gone, given in to the pain of the transformation, and the wildness of the wolf.

After crawling to Madam Pomfrey the next morning, Remus was ready to go back to her dorm on Sunday, just one day later. She had quite a vicious bite on her side, as well as several large scratches, but Madam Pomfrey bandaged them all up tightly, telling Remus to come back to have them changed in a few days.

Upon her return, her friends all greeted her, making inquiries about her mother which Remus asked nervously, not looking them in the eye. 'Your mum alright, then, mate?' asked Sirius pointedly, looking at a large scratch on Remus's arm.

'She's good,' muttered Remus, rolling her sleeve down. She spent the remainder of the evening copying the work she'd missed from Lillian, who inquired about Remus's ill mother anxiously, and ignoring Sirius's long and hard stares.

The next day, Remus's professors all went easy on her, and Flitwick even let her sleep in class, when he saw her bruised looking eyes. This sent Jamie into an uproar (she had lost five points for flipping darts at Sirius) and she was incredibly sulky around Remus for the rest of the day until Petra reminded her that it wasn't Remus's fault that her mother was sick.

Sirius began watching Remus again as she noticed the peaky look about her, and the dark shadows under her eyes.  
The rest of the week was a difficult one for Remus. She avoided the rest of them until Saturday, when the effects of the full moon had worn off more. Lillian proved a good friend during those days, and someone whom Remus could just disappear off to the library with and study in companiable silence with, minus all the questions and awkward stare-offs that came with Sirius.

That night in the dormitories, the girls were all bored. Sirius suddenly rose from her bed like a mummy resurrecting from its tomb. 'Sod this!' she exclaimed.

'What?' asked Jamie distractedly. She had been supposed to be doing her Charms homework, but instead she had taken to doodling "L. E." all over her parchment. She blushed violently as she realised this.

'Let's do something fun!'

Jamie rolled her eyes. 'In case you hadn't noticed, Black, it's after curfew, you tosser. There isn't anything fun we can do.'

But a mad grin had come over Sirius's face. 'Just because we're all stuck in here doesn't mean we can't have any fun!'

'And what do you propose we do?' asked Jamie, her chin in her hand smiling at Sirius with fake sweetness.

Sirius stood up, a balled up pair of socks in her hand. 'Quidditch!'

She threw the socks at Jamie who leapt up and caught it deftly in her hand at once. 

'Nice one!' Petra squealed.

Jamie grinned. 'You're on!'

Frankie looked up warily from her Transfiguration notes. Forget this beetle dung, I'm out,' she muttered as she gathered her stuff, and walked down to the common room. No doubt she would be sitting with Amy Marks and Jade Ross, the two second years she'd befriended.

'Petra, Remus, you two in?' asked Sirius.

Remus exchanged looks with Petra, and shrugged. Cool beans.'

Jamie and Petra were on one team, and Sirius and Remus on the other. They all agreed that it would be too difficult to have a Snitch, so they played only with Beaters, Chasers, and Keepers. Sirius and Jamie were the Beaters and Chasers, and Remus and Petra were the Keepers. 

Soon socks were flying thick and fast in the dormitory, and Remus had even charmed a few to fly around by themselves. 

The score was at 90 - 80. Surprisingly Remus and Sirius were winning. Remus's joints were aching, as it was less than a week till the full moon. As she blocked another shot from Jamie, she felt her scar tissue on her side stretch.

Sirius slipped on the bed, trying to get a winning shot in, and she thumped heavily into Remus. They both tumbled painfully off the bed, and Sirius landed heavily upon Remus.

Remus's eyes bugged and she retched, all the breath knocked out of her body. She heard a terrible ripping sound as her flesh burst and came apart where Madam Pomfrey had tried to heal it. Sirius froze at the sound and the feeling of the bulky bandages on the girl beneath her. 

Remus shoved Sirius off roughly, and placed a hand on her torso in horror where her thin white t-shirt was soaked in blood. Her hand came away stained red. 

Jamie, Sirius, and Petra froze in horror and shock. Remus ran to the toilet where she promptly vomited in the toilet, and collapsed on her side, dizzy and ill. She fumbled about for her wand to lock the door, so that none of them would see her like that, but the door was flung open, and a blur of red pyjamas and long black hair flew in, and knelt beside Remus, locking the door after her.

Remus just moaned weakly as she was too ill to tell her to get out. 

'Shhh... it's alright...' murmured Sirius in an uncharacteristic display of emotion. She pulled Remus's tawny head onto her lap, and Remus lay there, a filthy, sodden, sweat, blood, and vomit soaked lump. Sirius gently ran her long fingers through the waves and curls of Remus's hair, as Remus began to shake and sob violently. If Sirius knew what she truly was, there was no way she would hold her so carefully.

Sirius patted her shoudler awkwardly. 'Remus... tell me the truth... is someone you know hurting you? Anyone at all?'

Remus's body heaved violently in her lap as she tried to keep her sobs silent. She shook her head, unable to speak.

'Are -- are you sure?'

Remus gave no reply, she just continued sobbing in pain and fear. Sirius gave up eventually, and just let her cry.

Remus cried until she had no tears left to cry, and Sirius just sat there and stroked her hair until Remus sat up finally, and leaned against the wall. 

'I'm sorry,' she croaked, her eyes closed. They hurt from all the tears she'd shed. The floor was a bloody mess.

'It's okay,' said Sirius quietly.

'Perhaps we should get you to Madam Pomfrey?' she suggested, as there was no reply from Remus. 'Remus. I have to ask you this -- and I want an honest reply. Is someone hurting you at home? I won't tell unless you want me to, even though you should tell someone. It's not good to keep --

Remus's voice came out in a whisper. 'Leave it.'

'Remus --'

Remus's eyes flew open, revealing swollen, bloodshot eyes that were green, but now hid a strange hint of amberish gold just behind the iris, so slight you would miss it unless you were looking for it. 'I SAID LEAVE IT!' she screamed. 'WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST MIND YOUR OWN BLOODY BUSINESS?' LEAVE! IT! I! SAID!'

There was a strange look about her entire face, as Sirius looked at her with wide grey eyes, and scrambled to get away. She looked feral, wild, a little bit like a caged wild creature that had been pushed too far.

Remus staggered to her feet, blood leaking everywhere, and pointed her wand at the bathroom door that Sirius had locked. Without a word, the door blasted open.

Sirius sat frozen by the sinks, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish as the smaller girl painfully stormed out of the toilets she'd just ruined, water spouting from the sinks, and out of the dormitories. Sirius wasn't sure how she'd make it, with open wounds like that.

If she were lucky, she wouldn't be spotted, as the Common Room was likely to be deserted at this time. Frankie still wasn't back, so maybe she was camping out in the second year dormitories.

Jamie and Petra, who had been siting in silence the whole while Sirius and Remus had been in the toilets, looked at each other after Remus was gone.

'Should we follow her?' asked Petra.

'You go,' answered Jamie. 'I'll check on Sirius. I hope she's okay, after that. It looks like Remus did a number on the loos.'

Petra raced down the corridors, trying to find Remus, whilst avoiding Filch or any other teachers, but she could not find Remus. Eventually, she gave up, hoping that Remus was safe with Madam Pomfrey. She gave the Fat Lady the password (who complained loudly at the hour) and headed straight for the dormitory, glad the common room was empty.

When she reached the top of the stairs and entered the dormitories, a right sight met her eyes. The toilets were overflowing, the door was cracked, and Sirius Black was laying back on her bed beside Jamie, her eyes wide and unblinking as she stared at the maroon and gold drapes.

Despite Petra's hopes, Remus Lupin was not safe and sound with Madam Pomfrey. After performing a mediocre healing charm upon herself, she had set off in search of a sanctuary. Creeping though the corridors silently, like she had grown accustomed to doing, she walked through the dark Great Hall, and exited the school. Throwing a rock at the knot on the Willow, she froze the tree, and began to embark upon the journey to the Shrieking Shack, we where she planned to stay until she felt like she could face the world again.


	33. Mind Your Own Business

Remus staggered into the Shrieking Shack and collapsed upon the dusty chair in the corner. It truly was a dismal place. Her newly opened injuries and cuts stung deeply, but she ignored the pain. She had done a shoddy job of healing herself. 

She closed her eyes, and leant her head against her hands. How far Sirius was off the truth...

She never should have let Sirius in like that. Showed her how weak she was. But... she had felt so cared for. Like she actually mattered, when her classmate had held her and told her it was okay. How exactly like Sirius it was, to have assumed that she was being hurt at home, where Remus was the safest. Being who she was in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, life could not have been easy for her. 

Remus wondered exactly what Sirius had suffered at the hands of her parents, and her deranged cousin Bellatrix Black, who was already a trusted follower of Voldemort and his best lieutenant, having just graduated from Hogwarts a couple years ago.

Narcissa Black, her younger sister, was in her fifth year, currently, and Andromeda Black, supposedly one of the more decent "Black sheep" was the Slytherin Headgirl. So far, Narcissa hadn't tried anything, but Remus supposed it was only a matter of time.

Remus took deep, slow breaths to calm herself down. She simply couldn't face the others, especially after her bandages had split, and the scene she'd caused, fleeing from the bathroom. She hoped she hadn't hurt anyone. The damage she'd caused to the dormitory... 

Dumbledore would be furious. Perhaps he'd realise that he'd made a mistake in accepting the young werewolf into Hogwarts, where she'd only hurt the innocent young witches and wizards around her. Either way, Remus decided she would spend the night in the Shack where no one would know to look, and make her decisions in the morning.

And she'd have to somehow owl her mother. She would now, if she could, but there were no owls around, and she certainly couldn't stroll into the Hogwarts Owlery at this hour, write a letter, and send it, even without looking like she did right now. She must resemble a Boggart of some sort now. She was lucky to have not been caught coming here.

Remus slumped her head on the table, dust coating the strands of her tawny hair, bathed in the silvery light of the newish moon through the cracks in the roof and dirty window. A tear tracked its way down her cheek, and dripped off her nose, onto the table, creating a thin path in the dust.

'Are you alright?' asked Jamie for what seemed the hundredth time.

'Sod off,' said Sirius tonelessly, still staring at the ceiling, her mind in a haze. 

'I will, but --' 

Sirius sat up, glaring viciously at Jamie. 'SOD OFF!' she repeated louder. 

Jamie got off her bed, looking affronted, and then went to her bed. 'Alright, I will, then,' she said dramatically, pulling the curtains closed violently.

Sirius sighed through her nose and let her head hang low. What was the matter with Remus? What was her secret? What did her scars hide? Where did she disappear off to every month? What was the truth? 

She shouldn't have treated Jamie like that, though. She didn't deserve it.

'I'm sorry,' she called.

There was no reply from the closed gold and maroon curtains. Only pointed silence.

'I didn't mean it.'

There was a huff from the other bed. Sirius took it as encouragement.

'I was just feeling sorry for myself... You didn't deserve that.'

The curtains ripped apart. 'What do you mean, "you're feeling sorry for yourself?" ' demanded Jamie. 'It's Remus what's gone and split herself apart, isn't it?'

Petra corrected the grammar perkily, and both girls gave her disparaging looks.

Sirius lifted her aristocratic head, and swept her fringe out of her eyes. 'It's -- it's -- well it was my birthday on the third.'

'Your birthday?' echoed Jamie. 'I don't see what that's got to do with it, but why didn't you tell us? We could have had a party or something. Merlin knows we could do with a party these days,' she said gloomily.

Sirius sighed. 'It's kind of stupid, but... every year, something bad happens on my birthday, or on the days around it. Last year, it was when my parents and I started having problems. When they Cruciatused my mate, Matthew, just because of his blood. Before, Reg and I had a massive fight, and things are still bad between us. The year before that, Dromeda got in trouble with her parents, and I'm not even going to bother going further back, until we all become even more depressed.'

Jamie looked at the cocky girl in surprise. The mysterious "Black Sheep" had never shown such vulnerability before. She got off her bed, and sat down beside Sirius again.

'It's not your fault. I know it isn't. And we'll do something for your birthday, once Remus is back, and this stupid rubbish is all over.' She rubbed Sirius's back comfortingly, like her own mother did, and Petra joined them, until it was a huddle of three miserable girls comforting each other and praying for Remus's safe return on that bed. 

Sirius would have gone to get a teacher, but last time, she had only been brushed off. Adults didn't care. They never did.

One by one, they all fell asleep like that, even Sirius. Although she was deep in slumber soon after, sleep gave her no relief from her worries, and her dreams were filled with tortuous visions of Remus lost, cold, and lonely. Remus's parents laughed wickedly as they held her down and beat her, cutting into her soft arms with deadly hexes and fingernails as sharp as knives. 

The scene faded until it was just Remus standing on an empty plane, the sky dark as the Grim's fur, lit only by the silvery light of the full moon. Tears of sticky blood tracked down Remus's face, as she turned to the moon and screamed savagely, conveying more anger and pain than any words ever could.

The next day, Remus wasn't there. She wasn't there for the next day, either. The teachers went around looking worried and harassed, and McGonagall yelled her head off at Jamie for persistently asking questions about Remus.

Her Scottish accent became more pronounced as she talked. 'Miss. Lupin will be perfectly alright, I assure you, Miss. Potter! Now, if you will mind your own business --'

She made a move to leave, but Sirius stepped in, grabbing the professor's arm. 'If you will excuse us, it is our business, because Remus is our friend, and we're worried about her,' said Sirius smoothly. Petra nodded.

McGonagall stopped, looking abashed. 'Well -- I suppose I'd better tell you what's happened at least. Miss. Lupin was taken ill last night, and it is far beyond what we can do for her at Hogwarts, despite Madam Pomfrey's skills. She has been sent to St. Mungo's, and she will not be returning for a while. Perhaps not even until next term.'

'WHAT?' asked Petra, Jamie, and Sirius shouted in unison.

'I said, Miss. Lupin may not be returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry until next term, at latest. And I suggest you be more careful with what you do and say, Miss. Black. You're already in enough trouble as it is,' she added, before walking away hurriedly, looking harried and harassed.

The three girls all exchanged glances. Sirius sank to the floor.

'Oh no... No... What have I done? What did I do?' she cried, her voice rising dramatically on the last question. Her hands were gripping the roots of her silky, thick hair tightly. 

'Remus, poor Remus... it's all my fault,' she moaned. 'Nooooooo... nooooooo...'

Petra got on her knees beside her. 'It's not your fault Sirius. It's whoever did that to her. You didn't know.'

'You don't understand!' shouted Sirius, waving her arms wildly. 'I'm the one who kept pushing her, I'm the one who hurt her -- It's all my fault, it's all my fault...' she whispered madly, repeating this until it was inaudible, just little whimpers and whines, as she rocked back and forth on the ground, her head in her hands, saying it like a mantra, inconsolable.

When Remus awoke, she became aware of her aching bones, and her pounding head. The floor was dusty, completely unlike her cosy bed in Gryffindor tower. Her throat felt dry and raw, and her face was sticky and tight from dried blood and tears. The sun shone blindingly in her eyes. 

As she tried to move, she growled in pain. It felt like she was being stabbed in the side multiple times. That was when memories of last night hit her.

The pain of it was almost as bad as the agony she was receiving from her scars. The whole dormitory would know that she was a monster; a freak. It didn't matter that they didn't know she was a werewolf. Her scars were enough. 

She reached down to gingerly peel her shirt up, and nearly fainted with the sight that met her eyes: her side was entirely ripped up and torn; pink flesh was showing, and it was gleaming with blood. More blood was caked around the edges of the wound, and Remus thought she might have seen the shine of a bloody bone peeking through at her rib-cage.

She retched and vomited bile; she had nothing left in her stomach to vomit. Tears leaked painfully from her eyes, streaking through the grime, blood, and sweat that covered her face like a mask.

She waited for what seemed like hours, and still nobody came. She could not move at all, and she was well aware that if somebody didn't come soon, she was done for. It seemed that her healing spells had done more damage than good.

Although at first Remus had not wanted anyone to find her, she now found herself wishing that the other first years would say something. Frankie had not been there to witness the horror of what Remus had done and revealed, perhaps she would alert a teacher, and she would be saved.

As time went on, thirst burned in Remus's throat like Fiendfyre, and hunger clawed in her stomach worse than the wolf. Her wounds still gaped open, and flies began to gather, but she was too weak to fend them off. She only hoped that by the time someone found her she was not a dead, half-eaten, decayed, stinking, maggoty corpse.

She began to wish for death, after all what was the point? Pain, so much pain, and what was it all for? To keep going? For people like her, there was no "going". After all, where would she go? "Going" to Hogwarts had been an absolute joke. No one in the Wizarding World would ever hire her, she had been better off in the Muggle world, with her parents. At least there, nobody would get hurt, and she wouldn't be here, dying in agony.

She passed out a while later, and had no recollection of what happened after.

The first year girls sat at their table in the Great Hall, looking depressed and hopeless. Remus wasn't there. In fact, Lillian hadn't seen her for days. He had grown fond of the odd little girl.

He tapped Petra on the shoulder. She was the least annoying of the first years, bar Franchesca, who was chatting to Alex.

Petra spun around, looking up at the redhead nervously. 'Yeah?'

Lillian cleared his throat. 'I haven't seen Remus for days,' he said in a falsely casual voice. 'Is everything alright with her?'

Petra stared. 'Err...'

'Did something happen?' 

Sirius stood up, brandishing her wand at him. 'MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, WILL YOU, EVANS?' 

Lillian looked taken aback, then answered coolly, 'She's just as much my friend as she is yours, and I have every right to be concerned.'

'WELL GO BE CONCERNED SOMEWHERE ELSE THEN! SHE'S NOT YOUR FRIEND. SHE'S OURS,' Sirius bellowed at him.

Lillian threw him a look of disgust, and stalked off.

Jamie looked at Sirius nervously. 'You know, you didn't have to be so rude to him. He's just concerned, is all.'

Sirius sneered at her.


	34. St. Mungo's

When Remus came to, she was aware of a busy, bright, and yet calm environment. The floor was a lot softer than it should be, and her injuries did not hurt so much. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were as if they were made of stone.

She let out a whimper of frustration, and almost immediately, a soft, warm hand took hers.

'Remus? Remus, darling? Remus, are you awake?' Her mother's concerned and loving voice sounded from somewhere beside her, but Remus could not open her eyes to see her. 

She tried to lift her head and reply, but all that came out was a rasping croak.

Hope called Remus's father. 'Lyall! Lyall! She's awake! We'll need a Healer in a bit.' Was Remus in some sort of hospital?

Remus heard Lyall's overjoyed cry as he sprinted over, and sat down on the bed, making it sink. His rough hand took her free hand. 

'Remus,' he said, his voice filled with relief. 'You're awake.'

Remus grunted, her mind full of questions she could not ask. She was supposed to be dying painfully in the Shrieking Shack, not in a comfy bed, with her parents. Swallowing painfully, she finally managed to rasp out, ' 'Ere am I? How? Why're you here?'

Remus managed to force her eyes open a crack. They watered painfully in the bright light. She saw her mother leaning over her through the tears. Her face was filled with pity.

'Madam Pomfrey found you in the Shrieking Shack, practically dying on the floor, after you'd been missing for a whole day. You've been here for about a week, now, and you might have to stay here even longer. I don't think you'll be able to attend school until next term. I want to keep you at home for a while after they release you. I'm quite disappointed they didn't check on your sooner. You were so badly injured, and your scratches so badly infected, that even Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal you at Hogwarts. You're at St. Mungo's.'

Lyall stepped in. 'We've told them it was an accident with an unknown creature in the Forbidden Forest, on a foolish prank, because the scratches are magical and can't heal as easily as others. How did you end up there, Remus? What happened?' 

Remus felt tears fill her eyes, and spill over her cheeks, as she remembered the events that had taken place. 'Water,' she rasped, as she could not speak.

'Of course,' said her mother hurriedly, handing her a cup on the sterile white bedstand. She was in a ward full of patients. 

Remus sipped the water gingerly. 'We -- we were playing a game in the dormitory, and I slipped, and one of my dorm mates fell on me. My bandage split, and my wounds from the full moon opened. I got scared, and ran off to the Shrieking Shack, but I guess I blacked out.'

Lyall swelled angrily. 'Which dorm mate was it? Tell me, Remus!'

Remus stiffened, feeling the first whispers of the storm that was about to break loose. 'It -- it's wasn't her fault. It was an accident.'

Lyall continued to look at her piercingly, and Remus sighed, and gave in, hoping her father would not be too furious. 'It was Sirius Black. It was only a game, though,' she added quickly.

Lyall's face turned a deep shade of fuschia. Hope looked angry as well. 'Black,' muttered Lyall. Of course it was a Black. Disgusting snakes, they can't keep their filthy poison to themselves. Always ruining innocent lives, always destroying. If you ask me, the whole lot of them should be blasted of the face of this Earth. I don't know how one even slithered its way into Gryffindor. I'll be writing to Dumbledore.'

Remus grabbed his hand desperately. 'No! You don't understand! Sirius is my friend. She's good. She's not like them. You don't understand. You haven't met her!'

Lyall scoffed. 'Dark Magic runs in their blood. You might think she's good for now... but one day, she'll turn around, and bite you in the throat with her fangs.'

Remus felt her temper rising. 'You're just as bad as they are!' she yelled. Her father looked shocked. The other patients in the ward were beginning to take an interest. 

'What do you mean?' her father asked, standing up.

'I mean, you're doing exactly what they do! They hate the Muggles for their blood. And the Muggleborns. For something they can't help. And you're doing the exact same thing with Sirius. She can't help who her family are. She can't help being a Black. She's different. It was an accident, and you can't blame her.'

Lyall stared at Remus as though he'd been slapped. He looked at Hope, who didn't meet his gaze, and then he stalked angrily out of the ward without so much as a word.

Remus looked heartbroken. 

Hope squeezed her wand. 'Wait. One day he'll see. Just wait.'

During the remainder of that long week at Hogwarts, not a day passed when Sirius Black did not mope about, hating herself for hurting Remus, and wondering what her secret was. Perhaps it would be better if Sirius never found out. She'd only hurt Remus, just like the Black she was. That was the only thing the Blacks were good for. Hurting people. 

Jamie tried to shake it out of her, playing pranks, and cracking jokes, but nothing seemed to shake it out of her. Even the teachers started to notice.

Frankie was quite oblivious to the whole situation. She'd been upset to hear that Remus was ill, but she'd never seen what and happened, as she spent much of her time with the boys or the second years. 

Petra, Jamie, and Sirius all wondered what the matter with Remus was, but only Sirius actually went to the library and tried to do some research.

Despite Jamie's best efforts, McGonagall would not give them any more information, and she would continually change the subject whenever Remus was brought up.

They were not the only curious ones. Lillian was deeply concerned, and he also tried to extract news from the girls and Professor McGonagall.

Sirius and the first year girls briefly thought about telling Professor Dumbledore, but then they assumed he must know something, as Remus had clearly been sent to St. Mungo's by whichever member of staff had found her.

Perhaps Dumbledore was sorting out the issues with Remus right now. Or perhaps, as usual, Sirius had jumped to conclusions, and had got the entirely wrong end of the stick. Maybe it was just an accident, maybe the scars, they were all just accidents. Thinking like this brought Sirius constantly down into a cycle of gloom, and she ate and slept little during the rest of that week.

Remus's stay at the magical hospital had been thoroughly dull. Her father still had not come to visit. She'd gotten to know all the patients in her ward: an old lady who had been attempted to become an Animagus (she had horse legs), a man who'd been bitten by a kneazle (his bite had gone a horrible shade of green), a girl who had gone too close to a unicorn's young, and a teenaged boy who had recieved a nasty burn from a fire-salamander.

Her father had still not come back to visit, although her mother came nearly every day with Maureen Vance, the mother of Remus's only friend growing up, Emmeline Vance.

Maureen and Hope showered Remus with attention and treats, but Remus was still bored. She wished she could write an owl to them, but she was too frightened of what they thought of her. She was longing to return the next term, but she also dreaded it. 

After pondering her options at great length, she suddenly struck upon gold: she would write to Lillian, who was her friend, but was also not directly involved. Lillian could update her on what the girls were saying and doing, and she would make him promise not to day anything.

Remus wondered idly if they'd involved Frankie or not. It was the last thing she needed right now.

She went to the ward reception, and asked for Healer Leah. Leah was her primary carer, and had taken a particular liking to the odd, shy girl.

Just a minute later, Leah popped out of the staff room. 'Oh, hello, Remus!' she called happily. 'Moira here tells me you were looking for me.'

Remus nodded. 'Hi, Leah. I wanted to send a letter to a friend of mine, and I was wondering if you could just tell me if there's an owl I could use?'

Leah looked thrilled that Remus was showing signs of cheering up. 'Of course! You can use my owl, Edwina. She's in the Owlery right now, but when you're done, I can fetch her for you, and she will deliver your letter.'

Remus smiled tentatively. 'Okay. Thanks.'

She walked off, and sat on her bed, pulling a quill and a parchment from the bag she supposed her mother or a teacher must have packed. Either way, it had all of Remus's things in it. She dipped her quill in some ink and began to write.

Dear Lillian,

As you have probably noticed (or at least I sincerely hope you have), I haven't been at school for a while. I've been taken ill, and my parents and the teachers have decided that it is best for me to remain at St. Mungo's hospital for magical maladies and injuries or whatever (the name is so annoying and hard to remember!) and I missed you lot. I'm sorry to bother you, but it just gets so boring here!

The hospital itself should be quite interesting, but I haven't been allowed off this floor, especially as my mother can't stay here all the time. I've made friends with most of the people in my ward. I like them. There's a girl who's been gored by a unicorn, a boy who's been burned by a salamander like the ones Hagrid has, an old lady who tried to become a horse Animagus, and a man who's been bitten by a kneazle, but after a while, even they got boring. My Healer's name is Leah, and she is really nice. 

Anyway, I was just wondering... could you possibly keep me updated on what goes on at Hogwarts? As you may or may not have heard from the girls, I won't be back for a while. When I come back, I don't want to totally be behind on the gossip and news. Also, have the girls been taking about me, or has there been any sort of rumour about where I am? I know it sounds awfully bigheaded of me, but I am sincerely concerned. You know how gossip can sometimes get out of hand, and before you know it, the whole story is twisted and completely wrong. I'll admit, I'm being a little paranoid, but I can't get the thought out of my head.

Please, please, please, keep an eye on the girls and tell me what they are doing. Jamie can get so out of hand, sometimes, and Sirius only makes her worse. Do you know what Sirius likes to read in the library? I'm glad she enjoys reading. I never would have thought it possible. 

And I'm going to be so behind on schoolwork. Mum says I'll be back at school by the start of next term hopefully, so I'll be missing the rest of November, and the Christmas celebrations. I'm really disappointed about that. According to Dad, the Christmas feast is the second greatest of the year, right after Halloween. I'm glad I didn't miss that. That was the best feast ever! I don't know how Hagrid makes the pumpkins so big without magic. It was great until Sirius decided to charm Dolores Umbridge's robes to call her a 'stupid, fat toad'. I was quite disappointed, actually. I really don't like Dolores, and that was the lamest insult ever. 

Again, I'm sorry to bother you with my endless chatter. If you could reply, though, it really would be great.

Love, Remus.

As Remus finished off her letter, Healer Leah sped off, and returned with a gorgeous chocolate brown owl with large, amber eyes.

Remus hoped Lillian wouldn't be too obvious about the whole book thing with Sirius. Remus needed to know what Sirius was reading.

'Gorgeous, isn't she?' asked Leah proudly, feeding Edwina an owl treat. 

Remus nodded appreciatively. 'She's lovely. Thank you so much for letting me borrow her.'

Leah smiled. 'It's no problem.'

She sped back off to her other patients, as Remus stared out the window forlornly, and watched Edwina fade into the distance.


	35. The Letter

Lillian sat down at the table in the Great Hall beside Mason, and took a sip of his pumpkin juice, savouring each drop. It just wasn't like Muggle drinks. He longed to drink butterbeer, but that could only happen once they were in their Third Year, when they could go to Hogsmeade village, the only known all magic settlement in Britain.

Mason nodded at Lillian. As much as Lillian liked him, he was a little quiet at times, being wildly crazy at others. He was far too unpredictable. Patrick still wasn't responding to his letters, and with the strange, wide gap between him and Severa, he found it hard to get someone to talk to. Lillian missed Remus.

The strange girl had been missing for over a week, and there were all sorts of rumours going around. Lillian knew better than to believe them. He knew that Remus had not got lost in the Forbidden Forest, and he definitely knew that Remus was not going to become a giant queen.

Coming into the magical world had been amazing, but it had come with costs. Currently, the Wizarding World was caught in a war between a fearsome wizard called 'He Who Must Not Be Named', or 'Voldemort'. Few liked to call him by his real name, believing it to be unlucky or cursed. The other cost was her friendship with Severa, and Severa had come at the cost of Patrick. 

He and Severa had been friends ever since that fateful day at the park. That was the day Lillian had learnt all about magic, and Wizarding Society. About Hogwarts. The day her life had changed, and the day she had lost Patrick. 

Patrick was jealous that he could not do the magic that Lillian could. He hated Severa for it, and for how poor she was. Severa's parents were not good people. They often fought, and poor Severa got caught in the crossfire. As a result, she often came seeking shelter at Lillian's house, which Mrs. and Mr. Evans only too gladly offered her. They, too, were extremely keen to hear about magic what went on in the Wizarding World. Severa had reasoned that it wasn't a breach of the Statute of Secrecy as Lillian's parents were Muggles with a wizard son.

Lillian sat at the table thinking, when a lovely owl came soaring in, and landed right on his bread rolls. He stared at it in surprise, not knowing what to do. He'd never received an owl before. He'd sent owls to his parents, but they did not know how to send one back. 

'Shoo, shoo,' he said, gently shoving it off his rolls. The owl looked offended. It gulped down one of his sausages.

'Hey!' Lillian continued to stare at the owl nervously. It just stared right back, with its unnervingly massive eyes.

Sirius saw this stare-off, and rolled her eyes. Sliding down the bench, she halted beside Lillian. 'You've got mail, gingernuts,' she drawled at Lillian. 

Lillian frowned at her. 'Don't call me that.' He didn't want to have to ask her for help, but after a while he gave in. 'How do I get my mail?'

Sirius smiled brightly. 'So glad you asked!' 

Normally, owls would carry mail in their beaks or claws, but this owl had a pouch on its belly. Sirius pulled the small scroll from within. 

Lillian grabbed it, and began to read it. Most people didn't use owls with pouches. Only businesses and offices. Sirius took a closer look, squinting. It had the St. Mungo's logo on it.

Something clicked in Sirius's brain. 'Oi!' she gasped. 'Is that from Remus?'

She lunged wildly for the parchment, but Lillian hissed and recoiled.

'Stop that!'

He gave her an angry glare, and stalked from the hall, to read the letter in private. Sirius felt hurt. She'd sent countless owls to Remus, and none of them had been replied to. But then, if she was at St. Mungo's, only approved contacts could write. It would explain a lot.

Once he was gone, Sirius slid back to Jamie, filled with excitement. 'Gingernuts' finally got a letter -- and I think it's from Remus!'

Jamie's face lit up. 'Well, we'll have to just get that letter somehow.'

As soon as Lillian was far away from the Great Hall, he found a quiet place to sit down and read the letter properly.

Dear Lillian, 

As you have probably noticed (or at least I sincerely hope you have), I haven't been at school for a while. I've been taken ill, and my parents and the teachers have decided that it is best for me to remain at St. Mungo's hospital for magical maladies and injuries or whatever (the name is so annoying and hard to remember!) and I missed you lot. I'm sorry to bother you, but it just gets so boring here!

The hospital itself should be quite interesting, but I haven't been allowed off this floor, especially as my mother can't stay here all the time. I've made friends with most of the people in my ward. I like them. There's a girl who's been gored by a unicorn, a boy who's been burned by a salamander like the ones Hagrid has, an old lady who tried to become a horse Animagus, and a man who's been bitten by a kneazle, but after a while, even they got boring. My Healer's name is Leah, and she is really nice. 

Anyway, I was just wondering... could you possibly keep me updated on what goes on at Hogwarts? As you may or may not have heard from the girls, I won't be back for a while. When I come back, I don't want to totally be behind on the gossip and news. Also, have the girls been taking about me, or have there been any sort of rumour about where I am? I know it sounds awfully bigheaded of me, but I am sincerely concerned. You know how gossip can sometimes get out of hand, and before you know it, the whole story is twisted and completely wrong. I'll admit, I'm being a little paranoid, but I can't get the thought out of my head.

Please, please, please, keep an eye on the girls and tell me what they are doing. Jamie can get so out of hand, sometimes, and Sirius only makes her worse. Do you know what Sirius likes to read in the library? I'm glad she enjoys reading. I never would have thought it possible. 

And I'm going to be so behind on schoolwork. Mum says I'll be back at school by the start of next term hopefully, so I'll be missing the rest of November, and the Christmas celebrations. I'm really disappointed about that. According to Dad, the Christmas feast is the second greatest of the year, right after Halloween. I'm glad I didn't miss that. That was the best feast ever! I don't know how Hagrid makes the pumpkins so big without magic. It was great until Sirius decided to charm Dolores Umbridge's robes to call her a 'stupid, fat toad'. I was quite disappointed, actually. I really don't like Dolores, and that was the lamest insult ever. 

Again, I'm sorry to bother you with my endless chatter. If you could reply, though, it really would be great.

Love, Remus. 14.11.71

Lillian skimmed through the letter quickly. What was Remus doing at St. Mungo's? He had half an hour before class started. That was enough to go to the Owlery and back with a letter. He fumbled around for a quill in his bag an pulled a scrap of parchment from a book of his, too worried to care.

Dear Remus, 

How are you? I've missed you so much. With you gone, I've got a choice between your rowdy friends, crazy Mason, or Alex, who is constantly with Frankie, or the second year girls. It hasn't been great.

But look at me! Why am I complaining, when you're the one in hospital! You never told me what you were doing there. Did you have some sort of accident? Please tell me. I'm so worried. 

And, surprisingly enough, so are your mates. Sirius has been bugging the teachers non stop, and Jamie nearly landed herself a detention with McGonagall.

They've been awfully naughty since you left. Sirius hexed Mulciber so badly that he spent the whole day in the hospital wing. She has detention until the Christmas holidays. On top of her cauldron scrubbing duties. They still have those, you know. Although, the holidays aren't that far away... I hope you'll be back by then.

As for what Sirius enjoys reading -- I think it's awfully sweet that you want to get her a present, even though she was involved in your accident. I heard her talking about it to Jamie. Apparently the whole thing is her fault. It's really big of you, I know I wouldn't talk to her if she got me sent to St. Mungo's so badly injured even Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal me.

I've never actually seen Sirius read anything interesting. I try to avoid her in the library as all she does is bully Severa, and disrupt everything but she seems to be into Ministry Law books and old court cases, surprisingly enough. She spends quite a lot of time on them, actually. She's already got several detentions for not doing her homework. I think that if she misses one more Transfiguration essay, that Professor McGonagall will transfigure her into a ferret and will feed her to a hippogriff. 

Your ward mates seem really interesting. And Leah does too. Her owl is absolutely lovely. There are actually quite a few rumours flying around but it's only natural in a school like this. I'm sorry to hear you're bored. Next time I owl you, I'll send you the notes you've missed so you're not too far behind, and I'll give you a good book to read.

Lots of love,   
Your anxious friend, Lillian.

As soon as he had finished writing the letter, Lillian sped off to the Owlery. Olivia had shown it to them on their tour, but by his would be the first time Lillian would actually use it. It was a lovely, airy room, full of beautiful owls. The walls were white, but it was a dome-like structure, and it glowed irredescently with multi-coloured lights.

Lillian had been told that it was always best to rest and feed your owl after a journey before sending it out again, so he let the owl eat and relax for a bit, whilst he walked around, admiring the other owls. 

Walking around a corner, he bumped into something tall and thin. 

'Sorry,' he muttered abashedly. It was that gormless looking Ravenclaw boy, Davey Gudgeon. He was the year dunce, and nobody actually knew how he'd gotten into Ravenclaw. He had been involved in a surprising amount of accidents that year, not even a whole term in.

He nodded at Lillian, before frowning. 'Hey! Shouldn't you be in class? I think it started about ten minutes ago. You have McGonagall. She'll go ballistic.'

'Do you have a watch?'

Lillian grabbed his wrist and checked, not bothering to wait for a reply. Indeed, it read ten minutes past eight.

'Merlin!' he yelled. He ran panickedly to where the chocolate brown owl sat waiting, and he shoved his letter in the pouch.

'Take it to Remus Lupin, would you?' he asked rushedly. 

The owl took off promptly.

Davey Gudgeon watched him lazily. 'I don't know how you're so calm. If in were late for McGonagall, I'd be a lot quicker. You do not want to mess with her.'

'You do have a lesson with McGonagall, idiot!' Lillian yelled as he shoved stuff into his bag. 'Ravenclaws have Transfiguration with Gryffindors, remember?'

A panicked look came over Davey's rather slow face, and he grabbed his bag as well. 'By golly, you're right! I completely forgot! We should hurry! Like, really hurry!'

By this time, Lillian was already out of the door, and he was running down the corridor. He rolled his eyes at how stupid Davey sounded.

'Oi! Wait! Wait up!' yelled Davey, stumbling under the weight of his bag, and his shoe laces.

Lillian considered leaving him, but then realised that he didn't want to face McGonagall's wrath alone. If there were two of them, perhaps he might make it out alive.


	36. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday to my boi, Sirius. You're still sexy at 60.

Sirius opened her Transfiguration textbook, and opened it on the correct page with a thump. She slumped her head down, letting her hair pool over her book.

'Miss. Black,' came Professor McGonagall's sharp voice. 'You will lift your head immediately. This is class, not naptime.'

Sirius lifted her head grumpily, and stared straight ahead, planning how she should get hold of Remus's letter to Lillian, as McGonagall launched into a detailed explanation of the principles of Transfiguration. Sirius was fairly good at Transfiguration, and she figured she could catch up with Jamie's help later on.

About ten minutes in, the door burst open, and Lillian and some breathless Ravenclaw boy burst in. 

'You're late,' McGonagall's voice came. 'Ten points from both Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw each.' 

Students of both houses made groaning noises, glaring heatedly at both of the late boys.

'I'm awfully sorry,' breathed Lillian, his face nearly as red as his hair. 'I was doing something, and I lost track of time. If it weren't for Davey here, I would have been even later.'

The professor eyed them sharply. 'Take a seat, both of you.'

The seat Lillian usually occupied beside Remus seemed too empty, so he sat with a pretty Ravenclaw girl called Dorcas. She beamed at him as he sat down. He smiled back nervously.

Davey sat down next to Xenophilius Lovegood, who was gazing dreamily out of the window, occasionally slapping at the empty air near his ears. 'It's the Nargles,' he whispered conspiritorially when he caught Lillian staring at him. Minutes later, he was explaining Nargles quietly to an enthralled Davey Gudgeon, until McGonagall gave them both detention after their third warning.

Sirius idly watched this scene, as a plan formed in the depths of her brain. She scribbled it down, and tossed it in a ball to Jamie. 

Jamie frowned, then unfolded it, looking delighted when she read it. 

After Transfiguration was finished, and Defence Against the Dark Arts (with some teacher who had been an ex-Auror) Sirius and Jamie met up in the Charms corridor, Sirius grudgingly allowing Petra along after Jamie insisted. 

They explained the plan quickly to Petra, who looked dubious. 

'It's simple,' argued Jamie. 'Sirius will chat up Mason, get to know about where the dorm is so we don't have to waste time looking around, we break in, look for the letter, and take it!'

'It'll never work. We'll be caught, and McGonagall will Transfigure our arses into mice, and then eat them herself.'

Sirius scrunched her face up at Petra's description. 'I don't fancy being eaten by McGonagall, so I suppose we'll just have to be extra careful.'

Jamie grinned. 'Ayyy, that's the spirit!'

The girls high-fived. Petra watched, looking utterly lost.

The girls kept a close eye on Lillian for the rest of the day. Lillian didn't return to the Common Room at all, which meant that the letter was probably still on him. Sirius and Jamie knew better than to try and take it from him now, though. Lillian was well known throughout the school for his skills with the Bogey-Bat Hex. Even the Slytherins held a healthy respect for him, after he'd hexed the living daylights out of Avery.

It seemed that the girls' plan just wasn't going to happen today. Tomorrow was Thursday, and Lillian was sure to go to the library. Jamie could try to get Frankie or Petra to take out Mason and Alex to get them out the way, so she and Sirius could break in after classes were done for the day. The plan seemed infallible.

Jamie and Sirius could only hope it just went to plan. They both wanted to know what was up with Remus, and why she was writing to Lillian but not them.

'Do you think they're snogging or something?' asked Sirius.

Jamie snorted. 'Don't be silly. Remus can do better than old Gingernuts.' But she looked uncomfortable as she said it, her mind opening to the possibilities.

Sirius nodded, even less convinced than Jamie. 'Yeah, she can do better.'

Remus jumped as she felt a light touch on her shoulder. 

Healer Leah was standing beside her, a smile upon her lips. 'Sorry to disturb,' she said apologetically. 'But, I believe somebody has some mail.'

Remus sat up, instantly wide awake. She spotted Edwina perched on Leah's shoulder and stared at the owl hungrily.

Leah smiled, and handed Remus the letter.

Remus took it, offering a muttered thanks, and Leah walked off, a smile on her face.

Dear Remus, 

How are you? I've missed you so much. With you gone, I've got a choice between your rowdy friends, crazy Mason, or Alex, who is constantly with Frankie, or the second year girls. It hasn't been great.

But look at me! Why am I complaining, when you're the one in hospital! You never told me what you were doing there. Did you have some sort of accident? Please tell me. I'm so worried. 

And, surprisingly enough, so are your mates. Sirius has been bugging the teachers non stop, and Jamie nearly landed herself a detention with McGonagall.

They've been awfully naughty since you left. Sirius hexed Mulciber so badly that he spent the whole day in the hospital wing. She has detention until the Christmas holidays. On top of the cauldron scrubbing. They still have that, you know. Although, the holidays aren't that far away... I hope you'll be back by then.

As for what Sirius enjoys reading -- I think it's awfully sweet that you want to get her a present, even though she was involved in your accident. I heard her talking about it to Jamie. Apparently the whole thing is her fault. It's really big of you, I know I wouldn't talk to her if she got me sent to St. Mungo's so badly injured even Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal me.

I've never actually seen Sirius read anything interesting. I try to avoid her in the library as all she does is bully Severa, and disrupt everything but she seems to be into Ministry Law books and old court cases, surprisingly enough. She spends quite a lot of time on them, actually. She's already got several detentions for not doing her homework. I think that if she misses one more Transfiguration essay, that Professor McGonagall will transfigure her into a ferret and will feed her to a hippogriff. 

Your ward mates seem really interesting. And Leah does too. Her owl is absolutely lovely. There are actually quite a few rumours flying around but it's only natural in a school like this. I'm sorry to hear you're bored. Next time I owl you, I'll send you the notes you've missed so you're not too far behind, and I'll give you a good book to read.

Lots of love,   
Your anxious friend, Lillian.

Remus smiled as she heard what her friends were getting up to, and she couldn't help but feel touched that they were so concerned about her. It worried her, though, that Sirius was reading law books. Sirius was no where near the truth, but it could all go pear shaped if Sirius decided to tell anyone, and the Ministry did a check. Remus was sure that Sirius was reading these books because of her. She had known Sirius for over two months: that was enough to know that Sirius would rather snog a garden grome than read a Minsterial law book for recreation. 

The thought of Sirius kissing a garden gnome made her laugh. Lillian's letter had done her good. She felt much lighter already. She only wished her father would come around sooner and see that there was more to Sirius than her family name.

Remus decided to write a reply to Lillian after she had had her lunch. She wanted to write to her dorm mates, but they would only bombard her with questions she was not at all prepared to answer. Especially Sirius. And she couldn't write to one and ignore the others. Lillian was a good friend, who didn't ask too much, and was a good listener, and quite entertaining as well. He also took excellent notes in classes, and Remus knew she couldn't count on him to keep her up to scratch on all of the school work she'd been missing.

It didn't matter that much, as after the end of November, there would probably not be too much work being done as the Christmas Holidays got nearer, and Remus had read well ahead in most of her subjects. One things she would have to work especially hard on was Potions, though. She was quite bad at that, but perhaps Lillian's notes would help with that. Lillian had quite the knack for Potions, as did his friend, Severa, whom he worked with.

She did wish that Sirius didn't feel guilty, though. None of it was Sirius's fault, the girl simply seemed to have a knack for running into trouble. A lion in a nest of snakes, a rebel in a house full of purists, a student in the same dorm as a werewolf. Trust Sirius to feel guilty about something that wasn't her fault at all. And her father. Always her father.

Remus was just finishing Lillian's letter up, when Leah came trotting up to her bed. 

'How are you doing today, Remus? Good? I've got a few visitors for you, I hope you're happy to see them!'

The door of the ward swung open, and Remus hastily folded her letter away. Her mother's blonde, curly head poked around. She smiled at Remus, and then turned back.

'Come on, now,' Remus heard her mother beckoning. 'It'll be alright. Just say what you have to say. Come, on now, it'll be okay.'

Hope stepped into the room, and following her slowly, his shoudlers hunched, and his head hanging low, was Lyall Lupin. Remus's throat went dry. She still wasn't ready to forgive him for what he'd said about Sirius. She'd spent hours crying as he never came for visits when Hope and Ms. Vance did.

Leah scurried off, and Remus's parents came and sat beside her. Agnes, the horse lady, watched them curiously, and Hope drew the curtains slightly.

'Hello, Remus, honey,' she said breathlessly, when neither Remus nor Lyall made a move to speak. 'Look who came to see you.'

Remus gave no reply.

Lyall finally looked up, his amber eyes burning with regret. 'I'm sorry, Remus,' he said simply.

Remus held his gaze for a second or two, finally letting her feelings have control over her. 'So you should be,' she spat. 'You have no idea what it's like, being judged for something you can't help. She can't help her family and more than I can help my -- well, my condition,' she said, gesturing towards her body with disgust.

'I'm sorry, I judged her, and I shouldn't have. She may be different from the rest of them, but Remus, let me warn you, the Blacks are a dangerous and dark family, although they have no legal records of practicing the Dark Arts. Their pockets are lined with riches enough to keep the Ministry's eyes turned. And while I might never like the Blacks, it seems like this Sirius means a great deal to you, so I suppose I'll have to give her the benefit of the doubt.'

Remus eyed him warily. It was progress, she supposed. She would take what she could get. Leaning foward, she opened her arms painfully for a hug. Lyall's face lit up, and he accepted it eagerly.

'I missed you, Remus,' he murmured in her ear, as a tear trickled down his cheek. 'I'm so, so, sorry. Being close minded like them is what got us into all this trouble in the first place.'

Remus tried not to flinch as she was painfully reminded of how her Lycanthropy had been inflicted upon her. She closed her eyes and hugged her father, having not seen him for days. Although she would not have seen him anyway in school, it still felt like forever, compared to Hope, who had been in nearly every day. 

Hope watched the scene, her eyes shining with delight.


	37. The Owlery

Sirius cast her eyes about the common room, searching for her target. They lit up once they found him. 

She sauntered over to Mason McKinnon, carefully tossing her long, silky hair back. It was quite comical to the rest of the common room, watching Sirius act like a complete idiot, but this was lost on Mason. His eyes widened, and he gulped visibly. He wasn't bad looking, Mason. He had tan skin, deep brown eyes, and longish gold-blond hair. But he just wasn't Sirius's type. She would just use him to find out about the boy's dormitory, and where it was. It was essential that she rescued that letter from Evans.

As Sirius took a seat on the red couch next to Mason, Mason looked away from Alex Prewett, and turned to face Sirius.

'Hey there,' he said, his voice a little high.

Sirius smiled back. She hoped he couldn't tell how fake and forced it was. 'Hey,' she replied. 'What you up to?'

Mason evidently couldn't see through her fake smile. 'N-n-nothing much. Just talking to Alex here.'

Alex looked annoyed, and began to get up, but Sirius stopped him. She wanted to get the information out of Mason, but she didn't want the situation to become too awkward. After this encounter, she would have no further interest in him. Alex sat down with a huff and folded his arms sulkily while he waited.

'It's all rather new, isn't it?' asked Sirius cheerfully, nodding around the common room. 

A group of fifth years were busy drawing exaggerated caricatures of teachers, led by Gideon and Fabian Prewett. The pictures came to life, and swore fluently. Gideon had charmed a quill to fly about, scribbling random profanities on people's books and belongings, ensuing in a duel between a fourth year girl and Gideon. She hexed large boils onto his face, and he had to be led to the Hospital Wing by three of his friends.

Olivia walked in, screaming for silence, as someone threw a book at her head.

Mason looked at the scene, where a fully fledged book fight was now going on, and he laughed. 'Yeah. It's all new. This isn't normal, I hope?'

'I wouldn't know. My whole family have been in Slytherin, so I have no idea if this is normal Gryffindor behaviour or if we just have a wild house this year.'

'I wouldn't know either,' replied Mason. 'Most of my family's been in Ravenclaw. I always thought I would be there too, but so far, Gryffindor seems alright. A bit crazy, but alright.'

Sirius sensed an opening. 'At least the dorms aren't in the dungeons like they are for the Slytherins.' She punctuated her speeches with a lot of fake laughter, and hair curling. Mason seemed mesmerised whenever she did this. She felt bad for messing with him, but she had to get Remus's letter and apologise. 'Our dorms are at the very top of the tower. It's a bit tiring to climb up every single time, but the view is fabulous. We can see the Lake and we have a fair view of the Forbidden Forest.'

Mason looked absorbed as he listened to all this. Sirius felt her excitement mounting as Mason showed signs of opening up. 'Wow! Our dormitory isn't anything as cool as that. It's quite boring, actually. We've got a similar view, obviously, but we only have one window, and that's tiny. And we're a lot lower down.'

Sirius decided to get to the point, even if Mason thought it was odd. 'What floor?' she asked hastily.

Mason looked surpised. 'Fourth. W-why?'

Sirius grinned, the plan already formulating in her head. 'No reason. Just curious. Look, I've got to go now. Jamie's got something planned.'

Mason looked lost as Sirius scooted off. 'Chat some other time?' he called after her.

'Sure!' she yelled absently over her shoulder, not intending to do so at all.

Tomorrow, lunchtime would be perfect. Evans would either be eating or nerding in the library with Snivella, if the idiots had made up, so she and Jamie would have the perfect opportunity to break into the boy's dormitory and steal Remus's letter to Lillian. 

Sirius climbed the many stairs up the girl's side, until she burst into the dorm, breathless. She stood by the door, heart beating fast, chest heaving and rising rapidly, her legs burning.

Frankie looked up from her magazine with interest. 'You're in a hurry. What's up?' Her cheeks were smeared with chapstick instead of blush. Sirius wasn't even going to ask why.

She shook her head at her breathlessly, and beckoned to Petra to join her on Jamie's bed. Frankie stared for a minute, deciding whether she should give a damn or be offended, then she shrugged and returned to her magazine. They were alright, her dorm-mates, but she just didn't quite click with them all the time.

Petra left behind her Licorice Wands reluctantly, but sloped over, not wanting to lose Sirius's approval. 

Sirius leapt on to the bed next to Jamie, who rocked with the impact. 'Fourth floor.'

'What now?' asked Jamie, looking up from her Transfiguration essay. It was badly written and had loads of scribbles and crossed out lines now Remus wasn't here to correct it. Sirius felt a stab of guilt. 

Whilst she had at some point believed her family were extreme, as a child she had never honestly expected to be put in Gryffindor, no matter how much she jested about it to infuriate her mother, and she was surprised at herself for growing so attached to a half-blood like Lupin, especially one as odd and eccentric as her. But all her oddities were all strangely endearing.

When she burst into a spurt of nerdiness, until people's eyes glazed over, and they began to ignore her, Sirius felt a surge of protectiveness wash over her; when a cruel Slytherin or the odd stuck up Ravenclaw made a snide comment about Remus's robes or books, Sirius got the sudden urge to hex the living shit out of them.

Perhaps it was something about her manner. Not her weakness -- she definitely wasn't weak from what Sirius had seen, but maybe the closest thing it could be would be vulnerability.

There was something wrong with the shy, witty, bookish girl, and Sirius had played a part in it, and she was determined to fix it and discover what it was, so she poured out the details of the plan to the other girls. 

Lillian was no where to be found, so the girls could only hope he was haunting the library as usual. When Sirius was done, Jamie flashed her the crooked, crazy Potter pumpkin grin.

She grabbed her wand from her bedside. 'Let's do it.'

It had been just a day since Remus had made up with her father. She was still feeling lighter than she had in a while.

She settled back in her bed comfortably, going over Lillian's letter, and the few tidbits of information that Lillian had dutifully packed in, when it occurred to her that she had never written back to Lillian. 

Dear Lillian,   
I'm feeling a lot better now, thank you for asking. I'm sorry to hear that things are boring for you at Hogwarts. Honestly, my friends aren't that bad. It's just Jamie, really, and sometimes Sirius who misguides her a bit. But if you really are bored, than they are an excellent solution. As someone who shares a dormitory with them, I can guarantee you that life with them is never boring. 

When has having to wade through piles of Jamie's dirty robes like a minefield to avoid setting off a Dungbomb ever been boring? A little repetitive and basic for my taste, but definitely not boring. Last time Petra set one off, we couldn't go in for hours. McGonagall was furious when we came to class late because of our robes being stunk out.

Please do keep an eye on them and make sure they don't get in too much trouble while I'm gone. As annoying as they are, I don't want them expelled or anything. That would be a bummer. 

I know that Jamie is mostly annoying pranks and weird jokes, but Sirius can really get herself into serious trouble (see what I did there? Okay, I'll stop now) because she can have sudden outbursts that can get her into quite a lot of trouble, as I'm sure you've seen.

And I don't want it going back to her parents. I don't think she's happy at home. Her parents are practically Death Eaters! I suppose it's the legendary Black Insanity. Don't talk to anyone about this, by the way. I'm only talking about it to you because I'm quite concerned, and I trust you.

As for the rumors flying about, what wild and wonderful tales have the students of Hogwarts come up with now? Perhaps I was kidnapped by an evil Unicorn? Or maybe I've been recruited by the Giants? Perhaps I've been abducted by the Giant Squid, or I'm marrying a merman from the lake. Guess I'll have to see when I get back. I can't wait. I miss all of you so much, maybe even the Slytherins too. I miss hexing Mulciber and Avery. Sorry, that wasn't very nice. But sometimes they deserve it. You can't deny it.

Again, I am so grateful that you are bothering writing to an annoying thing like me. It comes as a great help to the monotony of the long hours in this place. My ward-mates have long since stopped being interesting. None of them really talk to me much anymore. At least I still have Leah. She's awesome.

I shall be most happy when you send me the notes for our classes, again, I can't thank you enough. I really don't want to be behind. I didn't have any time to pack any books when I left.

As for what ails me, don't worry about it. I just had a little accident. I hope everything is good with you at Hogwarts. Hoping to see you in a while,   
Remus.

As Remus finished her letter, she slid on her soft slippers, and padded out of the ward, her letter in hand, ready to go to the Owlery. Leah had said it was absolutely fine for her to find Edwina and use her to send letters when she wished, so Remus would have to find her way to the Owlery herself this time. 

A Healer walked past her in the corridor. He was a harried looking red haired wizard. She stopped him. 'Excuse me?'

'Yes?' he asked distractedly, flipping through papers in his hands absently.

'Could you please tell me where the Owlery is?'

'Catch the lift two corridors down, first one you see to the top floor. Then take two lefts, and three rights. You can't miss it. You'll hear all the hooting before you get anywhere close.' 

'Thanks,' Remus said hastily before turning and dashing in the direction of the lifts. 

The Healer finally looked at her and saw her hospital robes and slippers. 'Hey!' he called after her swiftly retreating figure. 'You should be in your ward! Hey! Come back!'

He made a move to follow her, trying to push his way through the thick wave of patients and Healers that had just poured out of the lifts round the corridor. He was trying to get in the lift Remus had got into, but he was barged by some old witch whose entire face seemed to be an huge wart. He let out a cry of outrage as all of his important papers spilt onto the floor, sprawling about into a giant mess. 

'My papers! My papers!' he cried, kneeling down on the floor, desperately trying to sort them out, all thoughts of Remus forgotten. The witch knocked him aside with her walking stick, muttering something about 'the abominable youth of today'. Remus smirked triumphantly as the lift doors closed. Lifts were essentially a Muggle invention, but Wizardkind had come up with the basic idea. 

She hadn't noticed the other person with her in the lift. He was a square-jawed, messy, black haired man with round glasses with a briefcase in his hand, staring straight ahead. 

He looked oddly familiar... but she couldn't place it. Then Jamie's face flashed across her mind. Of course! She had been stupid not to notice it before. Jamie resembled her father so much it was striking.

She swallowed nervously before gathering the courage to speak to him. 'Sorry... Excuse me, but are you related to Jamie Potter?' she asked. 

He looked at her in surprise. 'Yes... In fact... I just happen to be her father. Do you know her?'

Remus nodded nervously as the lift came to a stop. 'Yes. I'm one of her classmates.'

Mr. Potter smiled. For the first time, Remus noticed that he had a very kind face. 'Well, I hope she's alright to you. How is she doing? Causing too much havoc?'

Remus smiled back. 'She's one of my dorm mates and she's a really good friend of mine. She's alright, but quite the prankster. I suspect Dumbledore secretly finds her funny, though. I saw his beard twitching when she dyed all the Slytherin's robes hot pink, and he said, "strike me pink!".'

'Keep an eye on her for me, will you? Knowing my Jim-Jim, she needs it. And I hope you get better from whatever you're here for.'

Jim-Jim? Remus thought, silently laughing.

Jamie's father smiled once more and walked off, leaving Remus to wonder what he was there for. She'd heard from Jamie that he was trying to make a new hair potion, so perhaps he was testing it out. It would explain the briefcase.

Remus sped down the corridors, until she came to the Owlery, which unlike the Hogwarts Owlery, was rather plain and empty. It wasn't noisy at all, unlike the red headed Healer had said. Maybe the owls were all out now. It took her no time to locate Edwina, who took her letter with a friendly peck, and soared off through the window. Remus watched her fly off, and wished she could be going back go Hogwarts with the owl.


	38. Dungbombs and Diabolical Plots

Leaving Frankie behind with an apologetic glance, Jamie, Petra, and Sirius crept from the dormitory, their equipment in hand. 

Frankie just smiled awkwardly at them and let them be. Jamie was grateful to have such a chilled dorm-mate, and she felt guilty about leaving her behind, but she just wasn't part of the sort of pack that the other first years had formed. If it weren't for Remus, Petra wouldn't have been either. But Jamie was glad, because Petra would be excellent at distracting the boys whilst she and Sirius ransacked the boy's dormitory.

They all scampered down the stairs silently, Jamie in the lead. Once they had reached the bottom of the stairs, Jamie performed the charm that would turn the girl's stairs into a slide. As she, Sirius and Petra slid down the slide gracefully, Sirius reached into a massive bag of Dungbombs Jamie had nicked off Gideon and Fabian, and she tossed three into the midst of the crowded and noisy Gryffindor Common Room. 

'Instant chaos,' muttered Sirius with satisfaction, her voice muffled through the Bubble-Head Charm she had performed. 'Just add Dungbombs.'

The air was filled with screams and choking and retching sounds, as people milled about blindly in confusion through the thick green smog produced by the aged Dungbombs.

'How old were those Dungbombs, mate?' Petra whispered to Jamie as they swiftly navigated their way through the writhing mass of bodies, and up the stairs to the boy's dormitories.

Jamie was grateful that the founders of Hogwarts had been so stupid to assume that boys were less trustworthy than girls. For once, stupid stereotypes worked in her favour. 'I dunno,' she shrugged. 'Old enough.'

Sirius tried not to laugh as they staggered up the steps, removing the Bubble-Head Charms.

From the first floor, there were no particularly odd noises, but on the third floor, the sixth year boy's dorms, the whole lot of them were comparing how 'big' they were. Sirius sniggered as she watched one of them try an 'Engorgio' on himself, with disastrous consequences. He began screaming and toppling over. Jamie watched, appalled, as Sirius laughed. 

Sirius saw her looking, and shrugged. 'What? I'm a Black. My cousins have all been shagging each other for generations. I've seen worse.'

Jamie puffed her cheeks and shooed a dumbstruck Petra and giggling Sirius away. She couldn't help but snort as she saw John Abotts cast a Shrinking Charm on a screaming Felix Cox. Suddenly the situation was a whole lot worse. The other boys began to magically photograph it. Jamie rolled her eyes and moved on, quickly.

The next dorm up was the dorm that Lillian, Alex, and Mason shared. Jamie pushed against the door quietly with her hand, and cringed as it creaked. 

The three girls entered one by one, Petra entering last. The room was quite neat, surprisingly, and it was quite roomy as it was only three students to a room rather than the standard five. This year, the Gryffindor First years were fewer than usual. 

Jamie guessed Lillian's area was the one with all the books on the bedstand.

'I'll take the trunk,' Sirius hissed, ordering Petra to help her.

Jamie decided to search Lillian's chest of drawers and bedside table. There were several photographs of him and some sour looking boy with lank blond hair and pale eyes. They were covered up by a stack of books. He also had photographs of him and Severa; they were both smiling, a look which seemed odd upon Severa's pinched face.

Bleeding Snivella, thought Jamie.

She rifled through his drawers, not even stopping to snigger at his mickey-mouse underwear, or the off Muggle books he had in there. After about ten minutes had passed in this fashion, Sirius shouted at Jamie to come over. She held the letter in her hand.

'Come on,' she hissed. 'Let's get this back before Evans realises it's gone. 

They dashed down the stairs quickly, and ran up to their own dormitory, not bothering to see how the sixth years were getting on. Jamie had forgotten one thing, though: her charmed, glowy Gryffindor tie had floated to the ground, a telltale signal of surrender.

Sirius leapt up on her bed, triumphant. 'We did it!' she exclaimed breathlessly. Frankie simply got up and walked out the door. As the others crowded around to see the letter, Sirius shooed them off haughtily. 'Shoo, shoo, children, back off. I need to see if this snog-o-gram is suitable for individuals under the mental age of three.'

'Oi! Watch it!' Jamie yelled at her, but she kept a wary distance as Sirius looked quite mad, waving her wand around in the air like that. 'But do you think it is a snog-o-gram, though?' asked Jamie anxiously.

'Oh, bugger off, Potter,' Sirius said carelessly.

The truth was, Sirius was still worried that Remus might be being hurt at home, and she wanted time to be able to react to the letter on her own. To her relief, it was pretty much a light hearted letter, but Sirius caught traces of Remus's true worry and anxiety behind the seemingly meaningless, and yet desperate questions.

Dear Lillian, 

As you have probably noticed (or at least I sincerely hope you have), I haven't been at school for a while. I've been taken ill, and my parents and the teachers have decided that it is best for me to remain at St. Mungo's hospital for magical maladies and injuries or whatever (the name is so annoying and hard to remember!) and I missed you lot. I'm sorry to bother you, but it just gets so boring here!

The hospital itself should be quite interesting, but I haven't been allowed off this floor, especially as my mother can't stay here all the time. I've made friends with most of the people in my ward. I like them. There's a girl who's been gored by a unicorn, a boy who's been burned by a salamander like the ones Hagrid has, an old lady who tried to become a horse Animagus, and a man who's been bitten by a kneazle, but after a while, even they got boring. My Healer's name is Leah, and she is really nice. 

Anyway, I was just wondering... could you possibly keep me updated on what goes on at Hogwarts? As you may or may not have heard from the girls, I won't be back for a while. When I come back, I don't want to totally be behind on the gossip and news. Also, have the girls been taking about me, or have there been any sort of rumour about where I am? I know it sounds awfully bigheaded of me, but I am sincerely concerned. You know how gossip can sometimes get out of hand, and before you know it, the whole story is twisted and completely wrong. I'll admit, I'm being a little paranoid, but I can't get the thought out of my head.

Please, please, please, keep an eye on the girls and tell me what they are doing. Jamie can get so out of hand, sometimes, and Sirius only makes her worse. Do you know what Sirius likes to read in the library? I'm glad she enjoys reading. I never would have thought it possible. 

And I'm going to be so behind on schoolwork. Mum says I'll be back at school by the start of next term hopefully, so I'll be missing the rest of November, and the Christmas celebrations. I'm really disappointed about that. According to Dad, the Christmas feast is the second greatest of the year, right after Halloween. That was completely ruined. I don't know how Hagrid makes the pumpkins so big without magic. If the prank wasn't bad enough, Sirius decided to charm Dolores Umbridge's robes to call her a 'stupid, fat toad'. I was quite disappointed, actually. I really don't like Dolores, and that was the lamest insult ever. 

Again, I'm sorry to bother you with my endless chatter. If you could reply, though, it really would be great.

Love, Remus.

Sirius snorted at that. 'Love, Remus.' It was a very un-Remus-ish thing to say. Perhaps Jamie was right. Sirius didn't like the idea of it.

And the whole letter was un-Remus-ish. Sirius knew that the reason behind her asking Lillian lightheartedly to keep her posted on what went on actually meant a great deal to Remus, and she would definitely not want Sirius poking in her business, reading all sorts of books and possibly discovering her secret. And the rumour thing.

Sirius huffed at the memory of the Halloween Feast. That Dolores tosser was a right old shit pot. And that insult had not been lame.

Her heart leapt as she read how soon Remus would be returning. When Sirius returned from the Christmas Holidays, Remus would be there too, and Sirius could apologise for hurting her, and try to discover her secret. They'd also have room hold a party.

Her thoughts were cut short by the other girls clambering onto her bed and snatching the letter from her. 

'I think that's quite enough,' said Jamie comfortably, as she took the paper. Sirius handed it over reluctantly.

It had been a long day. All of the classes had been long and tedious, and Lillian hadn't been able to concentrate in any of them. He kept worrying about Remus. Hopefully Remus would reply soon. It had been a while.

To relax, he had gone to the library, and he had gotten into another argument with Severa over her friends. Lillian knew for a fact that Avery and Mulciber were not good friends to have; even bloody Potter agreed with her on that. And then Severa went and accused him of being friends with the first year girls. As if! It was true that he liked Remus, but then even Severa found Remus to be alright. 

Mulciber and Avery were two big thugs, big bullies, and they were purists. Ever since Lillian had come to Hogwarts, he had been looked down upon by many of the students for his blood-status, especially by the Slytherins. It was fair of him to talk to Severa about her being friends with them. 

He wouldn't be surprised if they turned out to be Dark Wizards, or Death-Eaters, servants for Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard the Wizarding World had seen for centuries, even darker than Grindelwald, whom Dumbledore had beaten a few decades ago.

So, when Lillian stumbled into the Common Room, after greeting the Fat Lady, and giving her the password, Felix Felicis, he was extremely tired, and ready to crash on his bed and go to sleep. 

He nodded at Olivia Barnsworth, who was busy coaching a second year, smiled at Fabian Prewett, who was clearly plotting something evil with his brother, and shot Jamie and Petra each a dirty look. They were both staring at him with wide, guilty eyes. Lillian flared his nostrils as he walked past, and up the stairs to his dormitory, thinking nothing of it. 

Potter, Pettigrew, and Black were already building reputations within the school as massive troublemakers and pranksters. They had probably cursed some second year Slytherins green or something. They always looked guilty. 

He climbed up the stairs, pausing when he reached the Sixth Year's dormitory. There was a lot of shouting and cursing going on. He took a cautious peek through the cracked open door, and then backed away quickly, face red enough to rival his hair and eyes wide and bright. 

He retched silently, and went on his way up the stairs. He wished he'd never looked in. That was definitely a sight he could have lived without.

He continued up to the room he, Alex, Marius, and Mason shared, and pushed the door open. He found Alex and Mason standing around his bed. His sheets were tossed carelessly to the floor, his items shoved off his drawers and stand, and his clothes strewn carelessly all over the floor. His side of the room was ransacked. 

He darted forward. 'Who did this?' he cried, glaring at Alex and Mason. 'Was it you two?'

Alex looked shocked. 'What? No! Of course it wasn't! How could you think that?' he asked reproachfully. 

Lillian turned to Mason. 'Well? What about you? Do you know who did this?'

Mason gulped, before shaking his head. He had his suspicions, but did not dare voice to them to Lillian. Lillian went through his stuff, to make sure nothing else had gone missing. He couldn't find Remus's letter. He searched frantically for it, making even more of a mess, but still, he could not find it.

Lillian inspected the crime scene one more time, spotting something lying on the floor next to his Potions textbook. It was a gold and maroon tie. A tie that had been charmed to glow the House colours. A tie that Lillian knew was neither his, nor Alex's, nor Marius's nor Mason's.

He picked it up, and read the name stitched carefully on the back. 'POTTER!' he screamed.


	39. POTTER!

Lillian stormed down the stairs, the tie in his hand. Fabian and Gideon looked at him.

'What's got his knickers in a twist?' whispered Gideon to Fabian. 

'No idea,' Fabian whispered back. 'What's wrong, Evans?' he asked in a louder voice. 'You look like murder!'

Lillian turned his angry green eyes on Fabian. 'Where's Potter?'

Fabian looked at him nervously. 'Why?'

'Where's that complete bogue, Potter?' Lillian asked, through clenched teeth.

Fabian pointed to the girl's dormitories. 'She scrammed about two minutes ago. There was this scream. Like bloody thunder, it was. Her and Pettigrew fled like rats.'

Lillian stalked over the girl's stairs. It was a good thing for Potter that he could not go up the stairs and get her himself. He stood at the foot. 'Potter!' he yelled. 'Potter!'

Up in the dormitories, Sirius smirked at Jamie. Lillian's angry voice bellowed Jamie's name again and again. Jamie had gone white. 

'Oh, look, it's your knight in shining armour calling for yoooouuuu...' teased Sirius.

'Shut up!' said Jamie angrily. 

Frankie looked up warily. 'I don't know what it is that you three have done, knowing as you always leave me behind, but you'd better see what it is that he wants. He's got quite the temper on him, I've heard. And quite the aptitude for a Bat-Bogey Hex, too.'

Jamie swallowed and walked out of the room, and down the stairs. 

'Oi! Mate! Shall I go with you?' Sirius called after Jamie, but Jamie didn't look back or give a reply. She stopped at the top of the last set of stairs, and looked down at Lillian. An angry blush on his face made his head look like a great dollop of ketchup. Only his bright green eyes, which were narrowed to slits stood out.

Jamie swallowed. 'What do you want, Evans?' she said, her voice cracking.

Lillian bristled. 'What do you mean, what do I want, Potter?' he asked. The cheek of it! 

Slowly, he reached behind his back, and produced the tie. Jamie stared at it, her mouth going dry. 'Oh,' was all she could say. She snapped her fingers nervously behind her back.

'You have something of mine, you rotten eclair,' said Lillian, in a voice of false calm. Jamie sensed the tempest raging beneath. 

But still, she held her calm. 'Remus is our friend, too! And she hasn't spoken to us. We're worried about her. We have a right to that letter.'

Lillian swelled before Jamie's eyes. 'You have a right, Potter? A right?' Lillian took a deep breath. 'You know, Potter, normally when somebody doesn't write to you, it means that they don't want to talk to you. I mean, what did you do?' he asked, a little cruelly, if truth be told.

Jamie pushed her square glasses further up her nose, and she finally snapped. 'That's none of your business! And I'm sorry we took your letter, but, we really care about Remus, and we want to know if she's all right. Nobody is telling us anything. Surely you understand?' Her tone turned soft and pleading, and her brown eyes looked straight at Lillian, begging. 

It was because of that stare that Jamie was so spoiled. And now, it was the reason that Lillian Evans, the arch-nemesis of Jamie Potter (this was not strictly true, but he rather fancied himself it) gave into her. 'Fine,' he grumbled, relenting. 'I'll talk to her, and I'll mention you guys next time. And don't blame me if she doesn't want to write you back. Merlin knows, I wouldn't. And I want my letter back!'

'I'll give it back at breakfast tomorrow,' Jamie promised.

Sirius appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed in a bathrobe, her hair rumpled. She leaned against the wall elegantly, sipping a mug of tea that she had probably called a House-Elf for. 

'Lover's spat?' she drawled. 

Jamie rolled her eyes. So did Lillian. 'Oh, bugger off, Black!' he retorted as he stalked off, embarrassed at the whole situation.

'Coming up to bed, love?' inquired Sirius.

'Well, that doesn't sound weird at all,' muttered Jamie as she walked up towards Sirius.

And it was just a mark of how much Sirius had changed since becoming a member of Gryffindor House, that she slung an arm around Jamie's shoulders, as they climbed the stairs together. 

Lillian sat next to Alex that morning, whom he was quickly becoming best friends with. He also really liked Mason. Of course, they would never really come close to Severa, but, he and Severa had agreed to keep their friendship on the lowdown for Severa's sake.

Lillian was not an idiot. He knew that Severa would be badly bullied in Slytherin House if it got out that her best friend was a 'Mudblood'. Severa had not initially wanted this, but after Lillian had explained his reasons, Severa had had to agree. 

Being shunned and bullied in Slytherin was not the same as being bullied in one of the other houses. You were far more likely to be the subject of a Dark Jinx or Hex if you were unpopular in Slytherin than in one of the other houses, Hufflepuff, for instance. 

Edwina, the familiar chocolatey brown owl flew down towards Lillian, and he smiled, eager to get Remus's letter. 

As Edwina landed beside the milk jug, Lillian took the letter, and fed Edwina a couple sausages off her plate. He was about to open it up, when Potter came towards him. 

'Morning, Evans!' she said, smiling brightly. 'Here's your letter. Sorry about the whole fiasco. Ooh! Is that another letter from Remus?' she asked, backtracking towards him, looking ridiculous as she did some odd kind of shuffle-dance move. 

Lillian resisted the urge to laugh as he glared at her, holding the letter to his chest. 'Back off, Potter, if you value your hair.'

Jamie clutched at her short, messy hair that she had swept into a windblown style, in horror. She trotted back to her seat beside Sirius and Petra immediately, fixing it to look like she'd just got off a broomstick in the reflection of Sirius's metal cup. Sirius poked her in the side. 

'Looking to impress a certain somebody, eh?'

'Sod off, Black,' grumbled Jamie.

'Watch that attitude, Potter,' Sirius shot back. 'Somebody got -- sorry, fell   
out of bed on the wrong side this morning.'

Frankie snickered, remembering how Jamie had fallen from he bed after Sirius had taken to dangling Petra's old socks in her face. She'd had to get Olivia to mend her glasses.

Potter gave Black a rude gesture, which Sirius lazily returned. Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with amusement as he watched this scene below. McGonagall looked on with disapproval.

Lillian rolled his eyes, and tried to not to look at Severa at the Slytherin table. She was till with Mulciber and Avery. Mulciber mouthed something obscene at him, and Lillian turned away. 

He waited until Potter and Black had left the Hall, taking Petra with them, until he unfolded Remus's letter, and read it carefully. Today was a Saturday, so he should have plenty of time to write a reply. He decided to jog off to the library quickly.

Once he had arrived, he quickly found a quiet table to hide under, and he unfolded the letter, anxious to see what Remus had to say. 

Dear Lillian,   
I'm feeling a lot better now, thank you for asking. I'm sorry to hear that things are boring for you at Hogwarts. Honestly, my friends aren't that bad. It's just Jamie, really, and sometimes Sirius who misguides her a bit. But if you really are bored, than they are an excellent solution. As someone who shares a dormitory with them, I can guarantee you that life with them is never boring. 

When has having to wade through piles of Jamie's dirty robes like a minefield to avoid setting off a Dungbomb ever been boring? A little repetitive and basic for my taste, but definitely not boring. Last time Petra set one off, we couldn't go in for hours. McGonagall was furious when we came to class late because of our robes being stunk out.

Please do keep an eye on them and make sure they don't get in too much trouble while I'm gone. As annoying as they are, I don't want them expelled or anything. That would be a bummer. 

I know that Jamie is mostly annoying pranks and weird jokes, but Sirius can really get herself into serious trouble (see what I did there? Okay, I'll stop now) because she can have sudden outbursts that can get her into quite a lot of trouble, as I'm sure you've seen.

And I don't want it going back to her parents. I don't think she's happy at home. Her parents are practically Death Eaters! I suppose it's the legendary Black Insanity. Don't talk to anyone about this, by the way. I'm only talking about it to you because I'm quite concerned, and I trust you.

As for the rumors flying about, what wild and wonderful tales have the students of Hogwarts come up with now? Perhaps I was kidnapped by an evil Unicorn? Or maybe I've been recruited by the Giants? Perhaps I've been abducted by the Giant Squid, or I'm marrying a merman from the lake. Guess I'll have to see when I get back. I can't wait. I miss all of you so much, maybe even the Slytherins too. I miss hexing Mulciber and Avery. Sorry, that wasn't very nice. But sometimes they deserve it. You can't deny it.

Again, I am so grateful that you are bothering writing to an annoying thing like me. It comes as a great help to the monotony of the long hours in this place. My ward-mates have long since stopped being interesting. None of them really talk to me much anymore. At least I still have Leah. She's awesome.

I shall be most happy when you send me the notes for our classes, again, I can't thank you enough. I really don't want to be behind. I didn't have any time to pack any books when I left.

As for what ails me, don't worry about it. I just had a little accident. I hope everything is good with you at Hogwarts. Hoping to see you in a while,   
Remus.

Lillian got out a quill from his bag, and dipped it in some ink. He wished he'd brought a pen from home. Quills made no sense. After he went home in the Christmas holidays, he would make sure to bring a whole packet of pens with him when he returned. He probably wouldn't be allowed to use them in class but he could use them for letters and note-taking. 

Dear Remus,  
Don't worry about bothering me at all!   
Your letters are quite a relief. Life has been, well, pretty boring. Until yesterday. You told me to try to get to know your friends, and I can tell you that they have exceeded all my expectations. 

They broke into the boy's dormitories, went through my stuff, extracted information from Mason by underhand tactics as he told me later (you really have to speak with Sirius on that one), ransacked all my belongings, and stole your letter to me.

So yeah, I think I'll stick with the mates I have now. I still haven't completely ruled out telling McGonagall, you know. 

Anyway, you should know, that I've promised to mention them to you in my letter. They really are worried about you, Remus. Please write to them. I know they're obnoxious and incredibly annoying, but deep down, I belive they really care about you. Sirius is really getting out of hand. I can try to keep an eye on her, but I can't promise anything. And I won't tell anyone, don't worry.

The rumours have calmed down a lot, but they're not very far off what you listed. I heard one last week about how you'd moved to Romania to fight dragons. And it's your choice to tell me whatever you want, but please write to your friends. I fear for my sanity, and that of the whole school if you do not.

Love, Lillian.


	40. You're Not So Bad, Black

Lillian folded the letter in his pocket, and was about to head off to the Owlery. As he walked off, he heard a bit of sniffling coming from underneath a table.

He looked under, and to his surprise, he saw a shaggy black head laid on top of a curled up pair of knees. Lillian knelt beside it. 'Sirius?' he asked gently. 'Sirius?'

Sirius looked up, her eyes rimmed with red. 'Go away, Evans,' she said, swiping across her eyes with the back of her hand.

Lillian ignored her. 'What's the matter? Why are you crying?'

Sirius glared at her. 'I'm not crying,' she snapped.

'It's okay to cry, you know,' Lillian said, shuffling under the table next to Sirius. 'You don't have to hide.'

In the House of Black, crying had been looked down upon, as well as any sign of emotion or affection. Sirius shrugged and turned away.

'Come on,' pressed Lillian. 'Tell me what's wrong. I won't judge.'

Sirius looked at Lillian blearily. 'If I tell you, Evans, you'll hate me forever.'

'Of course I won't! I mean, I already hate you forever,' Lillian said, butting Sirius's shoudler to let her know it was a joke.

Sirius stared at him blankly. 

Lillian blushed. 'Sorry, bad joke. But the point is, whatever it is, I won't judge.'

'For this, you will,' said Sirius bleakly.

'It's not like you murdered anybody or sent Remus to hospital, is it?'

As Sirius stared at him, Lillian blanched. 'I mean, you didn't, right?'

Something in Sirius snapped, and she finally let it all out. 'I'm sorry, okay? It was an accident. We were playing a game, and it was my idea, Bedroom Quidditch-'

Lillian tutted and shook his head. Sirius went on. 'And Remus was trying to score a goal, and I slipped and thumped on top of her, and she has these huge bandages, and she goes to visit her sick mother every month, and they split open and there was blood everywhere-'

Lillian let out a gasp of horror, his eyes wide. He gestured at Sirius to keep going. 'And then Remus ran to the loo, and I followed her, and I kept asking questions, and she freaked and ran off and then the next morning she was gone and we heard she was in St. Mungo's. And it's all my fault.'

Lillian swallowed a couple times. 'It's not your fault, Sirius. You didn't know. It's whoever hurt her's fault, not yours.'

He pulled Sirius's head on to his shoudler. 

'You mustn't tell anyone,' Sirius said anxiously.

Lillian patted her head reassuringly. 'Of course I won't.' He remembered when Sirius had comforted him like this, about Patrick.

'Do you think someone's hurting her at home or something?' Sirius asked.

'They'd better not be,' Lillian muttered darkly. Sirius caught a sense of how formidable Lillian could be, and for a second, she was glad that she wasn't truly his enemy.

'You know, you're not so bad, Black,' Lillian laughed.

Sirius thought of her family. They were truly evil. And they had passed it on to her. She could pretend and hide all she liked, but one day, the bad was just going to come oozing out of her like black blood...

And it had hurt Remus. A single tear slid down her cheek, and off her nose.

'Pass the butter, will you?' asked Dolores Umbridge, her voice high-pitched and annoying.

Severa shoved it over to her roughly, watching as Jamie Potter walked over to Lillian, and handed him a letter. They had a brief conversation, and Severa's grip around her wand tightened angrily as she watched. 

Mulciber saw her watching. 'What you lookin' at that filthy Mudblood for?' he asked, his voice croaky.

Severa shot him a dirty look. 'I'm not looking at him,' she lied. She watched as a ray of sun hit his head, making his hair look like it was on fire. 'I'm just keeping an eye on Black and Potter. I see no reason to let our guard down around them.'

Dolores looked over and pursed her lips. She made no sound, but Severa knew she was judging her. She sneered in her direction.

Dolores saw this and looked affronted. 'Well don't look at me like that! I didn't say anything about your little Mudblood boyfriend. I entirely agree with Mulciber on this one, I'm afraid.'

Severa slid down the bench, and turned to her eggs and toast. She was seated next to Lucinda Talkalot, and Leanne Jackknife, both of whom were Quidditch fanatics. It was annoying, but they were not as bad as Dolores, Mulciber, or Avery. Leanne would not stop talking about her sister, the famous Jody Jackknife, who had been one of the Chasers for the Holyhead Harpies, and captain of the Slytherin team a few years ago.

'Oi, Snape!'

Severa looked at Mulciber with loathing as he called her name. 

'What?' she asked, through clenched teeth.

'Gonna say a little something to your boyfriend for ya.'

Severa watched in alarm as Mulciber caught Lillian's eye, and mouthed something at him. Severa didn't catch what it was. To her relief, he didn't really react, he just rolled his eyes, and turned back to his pumpkin juice.

Things had been strained between the two of them ever since Lillian had suggested that they hide their friendship. Severa honestly hadn't cared what Mulciber and Avery thought, but she saw the sense in what Lillian proposed. Lillian had critisised Severa's friends, and had grown upset when Severa had accused him of being friends with Potter and Black. 

She would have to apologise. After breakfast, she could go to the library, where he was sure to be, and she could explain how things were for her. 

Before going to Hogwarts; living in an unsuitable home with a drunk for a father, constant arguing between parents sometimes involving violence, and practically living in poverty, Severa had longed to go. Now that she was here, she sometimes wondered if it was worth it.

She and Lillian were further away than ever, she had a bunch of thick-headed bullies for house mates, and life was rubbish in general.

She watched as the first year Gryffindor girls left the Hall, all except Lupin. That odd girl had been missing for a while now. Lillian followed out of the Hall soon after.

Waiting five minutes so it wouldn't be too obvious to the other Slytherins, Snape left her toast half eaten, and dashed from the Hall. She heard Mulciber cackle after her. 

Severa ignored him, and rushed out the Great Hall. She was almost there, when she was stopped by a shout. 

'Oi, Snivelly!' 

Severa looked behind her to see who it was. Jamie Potter lounged on the stair case. 

'What do you want, Potter?' she growled. She really didn't have time for Potter's shit. 

'That's no way to talk to an old friend like me!' Jamie said with fake surprise. 'I'm just checking to see how you're doing.'

'Well, there's no need to.'

'Clearly,' answered Jamie. 'But perhaps it's your dorm-mates I should be more worried about. How do they feel about the fact that you shower once every... Hmm, let's see...' She pretended to do some calculations on her fingers as Pettigrew sniggered. Black was no where to be seen. 'I give up. I can't remember the last time you did shower.'

Severa felt her ears grow pink. 'Cantis!' 

Jamie immediately burst into song. 'Colovaria!' she yodelled angrily. 

Severa immediately went bright yellow all over. 'Mucus ad Nauseam!' she yelled back. 

Large quantities of snot began pouring from Potter's nose. She opened her mouth, ready to retaliate, but Narcissa Black came down the steps, arm in arm with Lucius Malfoy.

'What's going on here?' she asked sharply. 

Jamie and Severa began to argue and talk over one another. 

Narcissa held up a hand to silence them. 'Severa -- off you go. I'll deal with you later. Potter, come with me. Pettigrew, scram.' 

Narcissa reversed the effects of Jamie's hexes on Severa, but left Jamie singing and snotty as she hauled her off to McGonagall.

Petra and Severa did as they were told, Petra retreating to Gryffindor tower, and Severa dashing off to the library. 

She walked in, nodding at Madam Pince, who looked at her suspiciously over her spectacles, and she searched through the library, looking for Lillian in their usual spot. He wasn't there!

Severa stood by the window, looking out on the grounds, wondering where she might find Lillian.

She tilted her head as she heard a pair of low voices mumbling quietly to each other in the next aisle.

She moved closer silently. The voices were coming from under the large table in the corner. 

'I'm sorry,' Severa heard a voice almost sobbing. 'It's all my fault.'

'No, it's not. It's alright. Remus will be back soon.'

Severa froze as she heard Lillian's soft voice comforting the other person. She moved back to her aisle, and peeked at them from between the books. When she saw who was with Lillian, she recoiled in shock. It was Sirius Black! And her head was on Lillian's shoudler!

It was as she had suspected. Lillian had been friends with them all along. He'd lied to her. And what had Black done to Lupin? Severa fled from the library, her thoughts agog.

Lucius sneered down at Jamie as Narcissa hauled her along to Professor McGonagall's office. 'Got you now, Potter,' he said softly. 

Jamie glared at Lucius as best as she could through the snot smeared all over her face. 'Bugger off, Malfoy.' She could not help but sing it.

Lucius looked delighted as he followed Narcissa to McGonagall's door. 'Swearing, Potter. Tut-tut. Nice soprano, by the way.'

Narcissa held Jamie by her collar, and rapped sharply against the door of McGonagall's office.

'Come in,' came Professor McGonagall's voice irritably, after a few seconds.

Narcissa strode in, self-importantly. 'Good morning, Professor. I found this one in the corridor near the library, bullying another girl in her year! She was casting hexes at her, and the other girl only did what she needed to do to defend herself. Of course, as the other student is in my house, I will see to it that she recieves a suitable punishment.'

Jamie snorted rudely, completely aware that Narcissa would never punish Snape. McGonagall looked at her for the first time, offering her a freezing stare.

'Very well. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Miss. Black. I will deal with this student. I'm sure you have things to do.'

'Of course. I hope that you understand that I only brought this matter to your attention because I feel it could turn into bullying,' she said silkily. Her eyes glittered coldly with malice. 'Normally I would have dealt with it myself. And she swore at poor Lucius here. Quite foul language, too.'

'Thank you, Miss. Black,' McGonagall repeated crisply. 'That will be all.'

Narcissa and Lucius both left the office, looking triumphant.

McGonagall studied Jamie from behind her desk. 'Finite Incantantum,' she said at last. 

'Thanks,' said Jamie, relieved to be able to speak normally again. 

Professor McGonagall sighed. 'How rare it is that I have to report a member of my own House for bullying. 

Jamie exploded. 'She cast the hex first! I was just defending myself.'

'Be that as it may, there is no evidence, and it is your word against Narcissa's and Mr. Malfoy's. No doubt the student whom you entered the altercation with will also testify on their behalf.'

'Pettigrew was there!'

'Narcissa is a Prefect. That means nothing, I'm afraid. I believe you, Jamie, but you must understand that it is school policy for me to contact your parents. I will, however inform your parents of the full situation. It has not escaped my attention that some Prefects tend to favour their own Houses unfairly.' Her nostrils flared at this.

Jamie nodded miserably. Her mother would be quite disappointed, but her father would be less upset, and more likely to listen to Jamie's version of things.

The Professor looked up. 'Go back to your friends, Potter. I'll deal with this later.'

Jamie nodded again, and raced back go Gryffindor tower, fuming at how unfair things were, and how much Slytherins sucked.


	41. The Invisibility Cloak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: child abuse

For hours after Lillian had had to leave to due some extra tutoring with Olivia (Merlin knows, he didn't need the revision), Sirius remained under the desk in the library, her head in her arms.

She was more worried than she let on, even with that whole chat with Evans.

She wondered who was doing all that to Remus, and why. 

'WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE A GOOD DAUGHTER FOR ONCE?' Walburga Black bellowed at Sirius, brandishing her wand threateningly. Sirius cowered back. 

'WHY?' she roared. 'Speak up!'

Sirius gathered all of her courage together. 'Maybe I don't want to be like you!' she yelled back. 'You're horrible and evil, the whole lot of you!

She spat at her mother.

Her mother gave a growl of fury and caught the girl by her waist, and pulled her by her hair and ears, kicking and shrieking to the cellar.

Orion Black came out of his study. 'What's all this noise?' he roared.

'Your daughter is having an outburst,' said Walburga grimly.

Orion's eyes sparked with anger. 'We'll give her a good spell in the cellar, then, and see how she fares when she comes out. But until then...'

He hosed a large blast of freezing, icy cold water at Sirius, who shrieked, and fell into a puddle on the floor, trying to breathe... the water burning her nose as everything started to grow cold and fuzzy...

Months Later...

'I've had enough!' yelled Orion, as he and Sirius had yet another yelling match. 'I won't have you spreading your filthy ideas to your sister! She is everything you should be!'

Regula watched with wide, scared eyes. Sirius looked at her, her grey eyes sad, trying to tell Regula everything that she could not...

'I won't stop talking to Dromeda just because you hate her! I like Ted! I don't care if he's a Muggle! And neither should you!'

'Come here, you filthy blood traitor brat!' Orion screamed, spittle flying from his lips. 'And you! Regula! Make sure you never turn out like your sister!'

Sirius let out a shriek of horror as he came for her, and she tried to dodge him, but her mother caught her tightly about the waist, and held her as Orion dragged her to the toilet and dumped her in the bathtub.

Sirius braced herself as her parents cursed the water to be freezing cold, and they held her under the cold water again, until she could not breathe... Orion yanked her head up at long last to allow her a breath. A dead Black heir was of no use to him. 

Sirius let out an animalistic scream. 'I wish the gods would strike me down dead!' 

Orion chuckled nastily. 'Don't we all,' he laughed, as he shoved her back under, to drown in more than just water. 

He held her there, with Walburga watching, until her sodden body went limp in his arms, and she stopped kicking, just wishing herself dead.

In the Hogwarts library, Sirius rocked back and forwards erratically, and sobbed.

Coming to Hogwarts, Sirius had promised herself she'd keep up the façade of the rebellious bad girl, and it wasn't all a lie, but she kept the other side of her carefully hidden beneath it. The memories she'd just recalled didn't even begin to scratch the surface. .

She'd thought she'd forgotten it all, leaving it all at home, but now it had followed her here, in the form of Remus. And she wasn't about to let it happen again, not in front of her very eyes.

The next morning, Jamie sat in front of her breakfast, rubbing her eyes, and yawning. Her eyes drooped, and her head dropped onto Sirius's shoulder as she began to snore promptly.

Sirius rolled her eyes. 'I know we should have slept in. It's a bleedin' Sunday.'

Jamie had wanted to sleep in but Petra had insisted that they make it down for breakfast.

Sirius rolled her eyes. Her shoulder was growing stiff under the weight of Jamie's head. 'OI, POTTER! WAKE UP!' she bellowed into Jamie's ear.

Jamie leapt up with a yelp, her short hair sticking up in all directions and her glasses askew. 'Coming, mother!' she cried out in a high-pitched tone, snapping her fingers together infuriatingly.

'It's me,' Sirius sneered, trying not to laugh at the same time. 'And stop doing that.'

'Bugger you, Black,' Jamie cursed gloomily, as she picked at her porridge. Any minute now, she was expecting an owl from her parents. She would be lucky if it wasn't a Howler.

Sure enough, the familiar grey Potter family owl came swooping down towards Jamie. Pollux perched on Jamie's milk jug, and dropped a surprisingly thick envelope from her parents. It wasn't a Howler, at least. Sirius looked on with great interest.

Jamie tore it open. The letter inside was from her father.

Dear Jamie,  
I've received a letter from Professor McGonagall regarding your 'bullying' of another student, a Slytherin. Normally, I would have been quite upset, had you been involved in any bullying, however Professor McGonagall fully explained the situation to me. 

She believes that you were attacked first, and that you only had a small duel, with no serious harm done. Since when did a friendly hex to another student count as bullying? 

Anyway, your mother says to stay out of trouble, unless it's for a good cause. (Bad blood between her and the Blacks it would seem). I heard you were caught by Narcissa Black and Lucius Malfoy. That's what really convinced me you did nothing wrong. That, and the fact that you would never be a bully.

There is another matter which I think might interest you. I was at St. Mungo's the other day, and I met this rather odd little girl, who said she was a friend of yours. She was in the lift. You might recognise her: she was wearing a white St. Mungo's robe, she had short, tawny coloured hair a bit lower than her ears, hazel-green eyes, pale, rather elfish features (not like a House-Elf, of course, more like a pixie) and she had a couple scars across her face.

Anyway, your mother and I love you very much, and we miss you. Term's almost over, we look forward to seeing you at Christmas! I hope you'll like what we're planning to get you for Christmas. Why don't we try to visit your friend? I'm sure she's rather bored when she's not beating up security wizards and breaking into restricted areas of the hospital.

Love,  
Your Father.

P.S.  
There's a little something extra in the envelope so that you don't get caught next time you go Slytherin-baiting.

Jamie grinned widely as she finished the letter from her father. She chuckled at the thought of Remus getting up to all that. Fishing about in the envelope, her fingers closed about something thin and silky. She frowned, confused, hoping her father hadn't gotten her a dress. She wasn't sure how that would help her escape angry Slytherins.

She pulled it out onto her lap, and gasped. Sirius saw it and recognised it immediately.

'That's an Invisibility Cloak, that is!' she exclaimed excitedly. 'We can do anything with that!'

Jamie continued to gawk at it in delight. 'I know! Just imagine! The pranks!'

Sirius snorted. 'Forget Nearly-Headless Nick, we've got Nearly Bodiless Jamie!'

Jamie choked on her pumpkin juice.

Sirius elbowed her. 'Quick! Put it away before one of the other kids see it, or Dumbles and McGoogly. She'll never let us have it.'

Jamie stuffed it away. 'So, Dad's totally chill with it, and so is Mum, surprisingly, considering she's a Slytherin. Guess they were more alright back then.'

'Your mum was a Slytherin?' asked Sirius, her interest piqued.

'Yup. A relative of yours, in fact.'

'She's a Black?'

'Yes! We're related! Can you believe it?'

The two girls hugged, jubilant. Petra stared at them dolefully. She was already a third-wheel; this was the last thing she needed.

Jamie leaned back from Sirius, suddenly looking serious. 'But you mustn't tell anyone, of course. She only planned to change her name to Potter because there are some who aren't happy that she married my father. It's a matter of safety. She wouldn't have changed her name otherwise. I don't plan to either, if I ever get married. It's dumb, and there's no reason for it.'

Sirius nodded. 'I agree. But whether I get married or not, I might change my name. Mine's not a very nice name to have.' She laughed humourlessly. 'Black! Murderer! Death-Eater! Muggle Hater!'

'I kinda get you,' Jamie shuddered. 'No offense.'

'None taken.'

'Anyway, my father was at St. Mungo's, and guess who he saw?'

Sirius leapt forward suddenly, clutching the front of Jamie's robes. 'It wasn't Remus was it?'

Jamie nodded. 'He says he'll take us to see her soon, maybe, if McGonagall allows it. I hope she wants to see us.'

'Your dad is amazing,' sighed Sirius enviously.

'I know!'

Petra joined the conversation, eager to be noticed by both chattering girls. 'Is our Transfiguration homework due tomorrow?' she asked, rather lamely. She was never really one for conversation.

'No clue. Ask Ginger,' Sirius said impatiently. She returned to the topic of Remus. 'Are you sure your dad's ok with me coming?'

'Of course!' Jamie replied enthusiastically. 'Well, he doesn't actually know, now, but I'm sure he'll be alright with it. I'd never dream of going to see Remus without you. You're her friend too.'

'I'm not sure about that anymore,' Sirius said gloomily.

'Nonsense. What happened wasn't your fault. When we see her we'll talk it all through.'

Jamie scribbled a quick thank you note to her father.

She looked up and saw Petra. 'Oh, and of course you can come, too,' she added as a kind afterthought.

Petra knew this. Already she was the one nobody liked. 'Thanks,' she mumbled glumly.


	42. Bored

Remus sat curled up in her favourite oversized jumper, on a comfy chair by the window of her ward. Rain plashed against the panes, and Remus breathed against it, watching it fog up. She had cracked the window open to smell the fresh scent of the rain that she loved; the old lady who had unsuccessfully attempted to become an Animagus clucked her tongue in irritation. Remus ignored her as she tilted her nose up and closed her eyes, inhaling.

She wondered what was going on at school, what with all the Slytherins and Professor Paisley. Lillian hadn't mentioned her in his letters. Maybe he was afraid of having his owl intercepted. It wasn't uncommon, these days.

Remus had been confined to the ward, as she had caused quite the uproar earlier. She had charmed the water for the Healers' tea to cause them to grow whiskers and antaenae.

Leah, laughing, with a set of thick white whiskers, had escorted Remus back to the ward when she was caught. The wizard whom she had knocked over looked finally vindicated. Remus made a face at him as she had passed. She also had a new letter from Lillian. 

She unfolded it as she cuddled further into her jumper.

Dear Remus,  
Don't worry about bothering me at all!   
Your letters are quite a relief. Life has been, well, pretty boring. Until yesterday. You told me to try to get to know your friends, and I can tell you that they have exceeded all my expectations. 

They broke into the boy's dormitories, went through my stuff, extracted information from Mason by underhand tactics as he told me later (you really have to speak with Sirius on that one), ransacked all my belongings, and stole your letter to me.

So yeah, I think I'll stick with the mates I have now. I still haven't completely ruled out telling McGonagall, you know. 

Anyway, you should know, that I've promised to mention them to you in my letter. They really are worried about you, Remus. Please write to them. I know they're obnoxious and incredibly annoying, but deep down, I belive they really care about you. Sirius is really getting out of hand. I can try to keep an eye on her, but I can't promise anything. And I won't tell anyone, don't worry.

The rumours have calmed down a lot, but they're not very far off what you listed. I heard one last week about how you'd moved to Romania to fight dragons. And it's your choice to tell me whatever you want, but please write to your friends. I fear for my sanity, and that of the whole school if you do not.

Love, Lillian. 

Remus sighed as she finished the letter. She should have known that sooner or later, her friends would start making pro-active attempts to contact her. They cared too much. Remus couldn't have friends like that. Perhaps she never should have been friends with them in the first place. 

She could ignore them. She could shun them, and make enemies of them for the rest of her life at Hogwarts, and maybe they would not find out her secret. No, that was impossible. The deal had been done.

Once the unbreakable bond of friendship had been formed, it was hard to break. Remus had never had any real friends before. She hadn't even known these friends for that long, but still they were as dear to her as childhood friends.

She shoved the letter deep into one of her pockets, gazing moodily out at the pretty garden that St. Mungo's had at the back. Only a couple people dared to walk out there in this weather.

It was terribly boring. Today had not been her first outburst of crazy behaviour, nor would it be her last. She longed to be at Hogwarts with her friends, messing about, and perhaps pranking a susceptible teacher or two.

Perhaps she should consider writing to them. That might stop them from wreaking so much havoc, and it might put them off the trail for a bit.

Whatever the right thing to do was, Remus wasn't ready to decide what it was right now. She pushed her thoughts away, and leaned against the cool window pane, closing her eyes and letting out a huffy breath.

Sirius watched as Jamie checked their timetable and groaned. 'We've got Potions with the darned Slytherins tomorrow!' she cried dramatically.

Sirius lounged across the bed. 'You see it as a torture session, I see it as an opportunity.' She cracked a pumpkin grin, which spread to Jamie's face as she contemplated the possibilities. 

'I hope you lasses aren't planning anything too mad,' inputted Frankie gloomily from her bed. 

Last week, she'd been included in the detention that Sirius, Jamie, and Petra had rightfully earned by putting a Gibberish Hex on poor Professor Binns. To himself, he had sounded perfectly normal, but to others, he was unintelligible.

Nobody had been able to release him from the rather odd hex the girls had placed upon him, or figure out who the culprits were, until Dumbledore stepped in, claiming to know Gibberish.

Professor Binns had been released, and the girls had to scrub cauldrons with the caretaker, Argus Filch.

'Nothing you can be blamed for this time, Franchesca, darling,' drawled Sirius, firing one of Jamie's underpants at her head. 

Frankie dodged it without her eyes leaving her book. She'd grown accustomed to living with the crazy girls.

Petra flopped down on her bed, and stared at the ceiling. 'It's a Sunday morning!' she wailed in dismay. 'What are we still doing inside?'

Nobody bothered replying to her, all of them too lazy to actually get out and do something.

For the next half hour, the girls either did homework (only Frankie), snoozed, or annoyed the shit out of each other with annoying hexes and jinxes.

This went on until Sirius got bored of growing Jamie's nose into a large purple cucumber, and then shrinking it.

'Bugger it. I'm bored. Let's go ruin someone's life. Coming Frankie?' she asked, just to be polite. It had not escaped her attention that the other girl was often left out.

'I think I'll have to decline that generous offer, thanks,' Frankie replied sarcastically.

'Keep your knickers on, Longbottom! See what I did there? No?'

Sirius shut up as Jamie grimaced at her and shook her head. She tromped out of the dormitory, Jamie and Petra in suit.

After spending twenty minutes watching Gideon and Fabian dump fire salamanders into the Common Room fire, and seeing the fire suddenly explode upwards at irregular intervals, the three girls decided that it was time to go before Olivia came down and started assigning detentions.

Once they were outside, Jamie looked breathlessly to Sirius for ideas. 'Well? What should we do, now that we're out and about?'

Sirius thought a moment. 'Well, we've been at Hogwarts almost three months now, and we still haven't explored everywhere! We don't know where the Slytherin common room is! Do you know how shameful that is? I mean, I plan on pranking those slimy Slytherins at least once during my career at Hogwarts, don't you?'

She looked at Petra and Jamie almost threateningly, and the two of them swallowed and stuttered in their haste to assure Sirius that their sole purpose in life at Hogwarts would definitely be pranking the Slytherins, thank you very much. And raiding the kitchens as much as possible, when they found them.

'Another thing to add to the list! Come on!' Sirius trilled cheerfully.

Jamie stopped Sirius as she walked in a random direction. 'Oi, oi, oi! Where do you think you're going, mate?'

Sirius looked surprised. 'Well, we have no idea where the Slytherins are, so I figured we might as well go off in a random direction.'

Jamie rolled her eyes. 'Surely you can't be that dumb. We both know that the Slytherin dorms are near the Potions classroom, so they've got to be somewhere in the dungeons. Those are downstairs, mate. I don't know what you think you're doing going up,' Jamie said scathingly.

'All right, all right! We'll follow you, then, O Almighty Leader.'

'That's more like it,' Jamie smirked. 'I have a bone to pick with that Dolores Umbridge anyway. I don't like her face.'

As the girls went down each flight of stairs, following the same route they usually took to potions, they encountered a Ravenclaw in their year, Benjy Fenwick. 

He nodded politely at them, waiting for the staircase to shift back to where it was. 

Jamie nodded back, seeing it would be a while before the stairs settled down. A sudden stroke of inspiration struck her. 'Hey, Benjy, you're friends with Lucinda Talkalot in Slytherin. Could you tell us where the Common Room is, maybe?'

'Sure,' Benjy began, but then paused, realising who it was that he was speaking to. 'Why?' he asked, his bespectacled eyes narrowing suspiciously. 

Sirius stepped forward. 'Oh, I just wanted to meet my cousin, Andromeda. She's Headgirl, you know.' 

A deep flush spread across Benjy's dark skin. 'Oh - oh - yes, I suppose there is that. It's to down the Potions corridor, to the left, and down that corridor. You'll see a cellar. Open the doors, and then whisper the password to the wall on the left. I don't know the password, I'm afraid. It changes every two weeks. But I'm sure Andromeda will let you in. See you around,' he said, as he hopped off the stairs.

Sirius looked around brightly. 'Well, that worked better than I thought it would.'

Jamie looked at her with raised eyebrows. 'You have got to stop doing that.'

'Doing what?' asked Sirius in confusion.

Petra made her eyes wide, and fluttered them. 'Doing that to get what you want.'

'I don't do that!' Sirius cried indignantly, as the girls continued to the dungeons. 

'Yes, you do,' both girls choroused.

'Bugger both of you. I wish Remus were here instead. And at least it works,' muttered Sirius defiantly. 

The castle was fairly empty, as there was an organised Hogsmeade trip for the older years as a treat, and the rest were all on the Quidditch pitch, preparing for the season which had just started, without Jamie, much to her dismay. 

The three of them reached the dungeons fairly quickly, bickering and squabbling as they were. 

Jamie had to dissuade Sirius from breaking into Slughorn's classroom and exploding stuff. 'We've got a higher purpose, here!' she hissed as she dragged Sirius back from the door.

Sirius reluctantly let herself be pulled away, but looked longingly at the door. The things she could achieve with just some of those ingredients!

She would have a ruddy field day. But she had to conceed to Jamie's point. Making life harder for the Slytherins, even if they hadn't yet formulated a plan, was a good cause, and a valid enough reason to stop her from raiding Sluggy's stores.

They all took all moment to admire the Invisibility Cloak, and how flawless it was, before breaking it in, and putting it to its first good use. All three girls praised Mr. Potter extravagantly as they walked along Invisibly.

They continued down the empty corridor, unseen, until Jamie stiffened beside Sirius, the Invisibility Cloak now over their heads, hearing voices. They seemed to be arguing.

The two voices were extremely familiar, and with a jolt, Sirius recognised the twangy tone of Evans's northern, working-class Cokeworth accent, and another, harsher, colder voice, that also held remnants of the same accent, although it sounded as if the speaker had tried for a fake, aristocratic, affected, rich Pureblood accent.

Sirus snorted. It had to be Snape. Who else would Evans be talking to in the dungeons?

Jamie's face flushed with anger under the Cloak. 

'I'm not friends with Potter or Black!' she could hear Lillian arguing. 'Not that it's any of your business! It's only Potter, really. The rest aren't so bad. Not even Black. You should give them a try.'

Severa sneered. 

Jamie had had enough. She flipped off the Invisibility Cloak, pointing her wand at Snape.

'How dare you!' she roared angrily. 'You slimy bastard, getting me in trouble and then talking rubbish about us.'

Severa leaned casually against the wall. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' she said airily.

'DON'T LIE TO ME!'

'Put the wand down!' Lillian shrieked.

'Back off!' Jamie yelled. 

'I'll teach you-' Lillian swore, fumbling around in his pocket for his wand. 

Jamie was about to fire a good Hex at Snape, when Professor McGonagall and Slughorn stepped out of the Potions classroom. 

Professor McGonagall took the scene before her eyes in quickly. 'I hope I do not see what I think I am seeing, Potter. Especially after the letter I was forced to send to your parents.'

Jamie lowered her wand guiltily.

McGonagall pointed at the four Gryffindor students. 'Evans. Potter. Black. Pettigrew. My office. Now.'


	43. Pooped

McGonagall surveyed them all over her glasses. Her mouth was thinner than it had ever been. She rested her chin on her interlaced fingers, as she sat down behind her desk.

Jamie swallowed nervously, although her hands were shoved deep inside her pockets, and she still had a defiant expression on her face.

McGonagall's gaze finally moved away from her, to Sirius, then Petra, Severa, and finally Lillian. 

Lillian looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him up, as McGonagall's scrutinising stare moved away from him.

It was several minutes before she spoke. 'The behaviour I have seen of all of you today,' she said, 'was absolutely appalling, and I wish to never see such idiocy ever again.'

Her nostrils flared. 'You four are Gryffindors. I expected better of my house.' She pointed to Severa. 'And I will also be speaking to Professor Slughorn about this.'

Lillian's jaw dropped with the injustice of it all. 'But Professor! Severa and I were just talking, and this lot came around and started --'

Professor McGonagall stopped him with a raised palm. 'I do not wish to hear excuses,' she said curtly. 'Twenty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin each.'

Lillian's eyes bugged out of his head. 'But Professor--'

'Don't make me change it to twenty-five.'

'Nice one, Evans,' Sirius said bitterly. 

McGonagall looked at her sharply. 'The same goes for you too, Black.'

Sirius ground her teeth as Severa looked triumphant.

McGonagall pushed her glasses up her nose. 'Another pressing matter which I am compelled to speak to you about, is this absurd rivalry going on between Slytherin and Gryffindor. These are dark times we live in; surely if we are to fight against-' she paused, wondering what to say, 'certain undesirable influences inside and outside of these walls, then we must have at least some semblance of unity.'

All of them nodded seriously. Even Jamie had sobered up, although she looked disgusted at the idea of unity with Severa.

McGonagall sighed heavily. 'This divide between the houses has gone much too far. It will take time for the split to heal, but in order for this to happen, bonds must be formed. It is for this reason that I am assigning you all detention together, helping Professor Kettleburn clear out the Care of Magical Creatures enclosures, in hopes that the shared labour will create some trust between you all.'

'Work with Sniv --' Sirius interjected.

'Another five points from Gryffindor,' said McGonagall severely.

All four Gryffindors groaned, and Jamie stepped on Sirius's foot. It was Lillian's turn to glare at Sirius.

Jamie cast a hate filled look at Severa, who was quietly gloating at her mini victory.

'Professor Kettleburn will be expecting you directly after lunch. If there any delays, make no mistake in thinking I won't hear about it.'

She paused, her eyes lingering disappointedly on Lillian again. 'You are all dismissed.'

Severa and Lillian darted out first.

The three girls were left to leave last, heads hanging sulkily.

'Fat lot of good that was,' Sirius said gloomily, slouching with her hands in her pockets.

'Couldn't even hex a ruddy Slytherin,' Jamie agreed. 'And the old cat just sent an owl to my parents a few days ago. At this rate, we'll never be able to see Remus.'

'What was Snivella saying about you anyway?' piped up Petra.

Jamie looked uncomfortable. 'I dunno. She was, er, telling Evans some -- some rubbish about stuff I'd done.'

'Does Snivella and Evans talking bother us?' taunted Sirius, snaking her arms around Jamie.

Jamie snorted and shook her off roughly. 'No. Of course not. I just don't like hearing my name come out of that lizard's mouth, is all.'

Sirius looked disappointed at her controlled reaction. 'Well, there'll be plenty of opportunities to hear her saying your name when we're clearing dung out of the stables during "bonding time" with ol' Gingernuts and Snivelly.'

Jamie shuddered. 'Ugh. Don't remind me.'

Sirius slammed her shovel into a large pile of Hippogriff dung. Sweat was pouring off her forehead and into her eyes, blinding her. She growled and muttered a curse underneath her breath.

Tied to a post of the large enclosure she was cleaning out, a rather fat golden-brown Hippogriff tilted its head to look at her with beady eyes. It cawed at her inquisitively.

'Oh, shut it, you,' Sirius grumbled, no longer caring if she hurt its feelings. At least if it mauled her, she'd no longer have to do any work.

Professor Kettleburn looked up from the crate of illegal baby Ashwinders he was tending to. 'Get on with it, Black,' he said, waving his wand about threateningly with his only remaining hand.

Sirius made a face at him, and flicked a lump of dung in his direction when his back was finally turned.

Jamie climbed up on the fence from the next enclosure to look down at Sirius. 'Your aim is crap, Black,' she chuckled.

Sirius snorted mirthlessly. 'Yeah, Hippogriff crap.'

'I see what you did there,' Petra said, coming up to the fence as well. Sirius still didn't see how it was fair she was the only one who had an entire enclosure to herself.

Snape and Evans both glowered at them. 'If you slack off any more, I'll tell Kettleburn,' warned Snape. 

'Go on then,' sneered Jamie. 'Be a big ol' slimey snake, just like the rest of your ruddy house. See if I care.'

Lillian scowled at her, and pulled his thick scarf around himself tightly against the biting November morning.

'Alright then,' Severa shrugged. 'Professor! Please, Professor, they're not working!' 

Something exploded from Kettleburn's crate, covering his face in ash, and leaving scorch marks over his wooden leg. 'Get back to work, you lot!' he yelled absently, coughing, and shaking dust out of his beard.

Jamie sneered at Severa. 

'Dung collection going alright?' shouted a Fifth Year Ravenclaw, surrounded by friends.

Jamie nodded sardonically. 'Real crappy, actually!' she yelled back, smiling like a maniac.

The Ravenclaws all howled with laughter, and moved on.

Severa glanced up towards the castle with worry. She just hoped that no Slytherins would come that way. Already, several students of all houses had come to poke fun at them all. Severa had a feeling that some of the older Slytherins wouldn't take such a comical view of a detention with four Gryffindors.

There was no such luck for Severa, though. 

'How's it going, dung beetles?' came a familiar voice. 

Severa closed her eyes in a silent prayer, and turned around to face Avery, who was trying to go for an elegant lean on the fenceposts.

'It's all going great, Avery. Just shovelling away a great pile of Hippogriff dung, with even bigger piles of dung,' Severa answered through gritted teeth. 

She shook her head at Lillian to show that she did not mean him. 

'Watch it, Snivelly,' Jamie growled, tossing aside another shovelful of dung, dangerously near Severa.

Mulciber joined Avery. 'Oh, loosen up, Potter. Laughter is the best medicine. Unless you have diarrhoea, of course.'

They both clutched their sides, shaking with laughter. 'Good one, Mulce.'

'Good one, Mulce,' Jamie mimicked. 'Now, back off before I shove this pile of mulce right back where it came from, complete with this shovel,' she said, brandishing the dirty gardening tool threateningly. 

'As tempting as that offer is, I'd have to decline,' grimaced Avery apologetically. 'You see, I'm pooped, and there don't seem to be many free stools around here.' 

Mulciber bent over and wheezed, wiping his eyes when he could finally stand upright. 'Brilliant,' he said, breathlessly. 'Absolutely brilliant.'

Severa let out a weak laugh. 'I'll see you fellows later.'

The two of them stumbled off finally, laughing and repeating their jokes to each other.

Sirius fought to keep a straight face.

Jamie noticed immediately. 'What?' she demanded. 'What's so funny?'

Sirius finally allowed herself to break down into a fit of giggles. 'It's just... pooped!' 

Jamie watched in disgust as Sirius clutched the stable post for support.

Lillian frowned at Severa. 'You'll see those two fellows soon?' 

Severa continued shovelling away at the dirt doggedly. 'Just to make them go away. They'd have been there all day if I hadn't sent them off.'

Jamie squeezed through the bars, overhearing. 'Finally seeing our House for what they truly are, Snivelly? A bunch of rotten snakes, just like you. You couldn't even be loyal to them!'

Severa ground her teeth. 'What exactly have I done to you, Potter? What do you have against me?'

Jamie pretended to frown as if she were in deep thought. 'You mean -- other than the fact that you exist, and that you're using up valuable air that could be breathed by someone less...' she gave Severa a disparaging up and down. 'Less greasy, less of a scourge upon the Earth, less... you.'

'You're lucky McGonagall made us leave our wands in our dorms,' Lillian hissed. 

'Why? Too scared to take on a girl?' Jamie taunted. 

'Push me enough, Potter, and you might just find out,' Lillian murmured.

'Push -- just like this?' Jamie sprang forward, and shoved Severa face first into a massive heap of stinking Hippogriff feces.

Petra whooped, and Sirius yelled, 'Go it, Jamie!'

Severa lay stock-still in the mud for several long seconds, before springing up and leaping on Jamie, dragging her down in the mud with her. Her face was utterly smeared. 

Jamie trilled with joy. 'Looks like we got a live one, lasses!' 

She scrabbled with Severa, landing a vicious kick in the abdomen.

Severa groaned in pain, and raked her fingernails down Jamie's face, causing the latter to shriek. 'That's playing dirty!'

Their shrieks had attracted a large crowd, many of whom were exchanging Knuts and Sickles. Professor Kettleburn had been missing ever since a cough from an Ashwinder had set his beard on fire.

Lillian looked around helplessly, and then decided it was time to break it up. 'Stop it!' he yelled. He looked at Sirius and Petra, who were simply watching with mild interest. 'Come on, help me!'

Neither of them moved. 

He hissed and stomped forward, trying to kick Severa and Jamie apart.

Jamie grabbed his wellingtonned foot savagely, and yanked him down. 

The crowd ooh-ed and aah-ed, as Lillian fought to escape.

Sirius exchanged glances with Petra. 'Well... if Snape has back up, and Jamie doesn't, it's only fair...'

Petra grinned gleefully at her, and they both leapt off the fenceposts, and jumped right into the action happening on the floor. 

Jamie was busy rubbing dung into Severa's face, and Lillian was screaming for help, whilst savagely kicking at both of them. 

Sirius picked up Severa's shovel, and flicked dung at the seething pile of limbs. 

'ARGH!' screamed poor Lillian. This was one of his worst nightmares come true.

'Isn't this fun, love?' Jamie asked breathlessly, as Severa yanked at her messy locks. One of the lenses of her glasses was smashed. 

'Don't -- call -- me -- love!' Lillian spat. 

'Anything for you, love!' Jamie said, shrieking at the end as Severa pulled a few strands of hair out.

Severa used Jamie's distraction to climb to her feet. She got up unsteadily, a black eye forming. 

Sirius seized the opportunity, and flung more dung at her. It hit her right in the chest.

Severa exclaimed in surprise, and stumbled backwards. 'Bugger you, Black!' She herself scooped up dung with her bare hands, which were filthy anyway, and returned Sirius's blow.

Sirius whooped in joy. 'Up and at them!' she roared, as Jamie and Lillian got on their feet. 

'Fire!' she yelled, as she and Petra aimed at both of them. 

Lillian squealed in disgust. 'Potter, you filthy little toerag! You started all this!'

He stared at Jamie accusingly, before bending down and picking up the largest handful of dung yet. 'Incoming!'

It hit Jamie's face with an almighty, "SPLAT!" which delighted the crowd almost as much as it did Jamie.

She tossed aside her shattered glasses. 'Now you're getting it, Evans!'

She was brown with feces from head to toe. A wild grin settled itself upon her unrecognisable face.

The stables were filled with wild shrieks and yells, as everyone had either the worst or best time of their lives.

All four of them froze, however, as the crowd began to frantically disperse, and angry roaring could be heard in the distance. 

Professor Kettleburn limped up to the fence, looking even more menacing than usual, his beard smouldering slightly.

He took in the scene before him wordlessly, before waving a wand at them all to clean them up. Even Jamie's glasses mended and leapt into her hand.

'Follow me,' Kettleburn ordered, before limping off in the direction of the castle.

The four of them followed him with dread, imagining a visit to the Headmaster's office, McGonagall, or perhaps even suspension.

Lillian exchanged worried looks with Severa.

All of them were confused when Kettleburn paused outside an ordinary wooden door on the Second Floor.

He pushed the door open grimly, and gestured for them to all go inside.

Jamie went first, peering around hesitantly for whatever it was that was making Kettleburn act so foreboding about it.

'Oh, it's just a toilet!' she laughed in relief. 

A moment later, she jumped back and screamed as something fast and pearly white shot out of an overflowing toilet.

A sqaut, see-through girl in school uniform floated about two inches from her face, scowling, and picking at a spot on her nose.

Her demeanour instantly changed the moment she saw her visitors. 'Well, hello, ladies and gentleman,' she giggled. 'Come to visit me in my humble abode?'

Sirius had never seen Kettleburn smile wider or more fiercely.


	44. The Miseries of Myrtle

Jamie turned to Professor Kettleburn, and made as if to seize the front of his robes. He dodged away with surprising agility, considering he had a wooden leg. Sirius thought she saw it unscrew slightly from its socket.

'Please, Professor Kettleburn!' Jamie begged, with wide, pleading eyes. 'You can't do this to us!'

'I can, and I just did,' the Professor said grimly, patting his grey beard, which was still smoking at the ends. 'You seem to enjoy playing amongst dung so much, that I decided that I'd better give you all a special little treat. Myrtle and Peeves have had one of their --' he paused, searching for the right word, 'parties, and they need a hand in cleaning up. Seeing as I don't have many of those to spare, who better to help than you lot?'

He flourished his wooden stump of a hand at the wrecked toilet cubicles, and at the flooding taps. 

'You can't make us work with--' Severa dropped her voice, looking anxiously to where the ghostly girl was flushing wads of toilet paper down the loo, '--with Myrtle.'

'Would you rather I called Peeves?' offered Professor Kettleburn. 'I'm sure he'd love to help.'

'No, not at all, that's fine, Professor,' said Severa hastily.

'That's what I thought,' grunted Kettleburn. 'Now, I'm off to deal with some issues. These toilets better be so clean that I can check my reflection on the seats -- not that I'd want to do that anyway,' he said, tapping his misshapen nose and grinning to show three missing teeth.

He gave them all an evil leer one last time, and hobbled out of the loos, slamming the door behind him.

Lillian groaned loudly, and poked gingerly at a toilet stall door, which looked filthy. 'This is all your fault!' he said, pointing an accusing finger at Jamie. 'From the beginning to the end!'

'Hold up,' said Jamie indignantly. 'What're you on about? You lot took part in that dung fight just as much as we did!'

Lillian shook his head. 'Nope. You started it. As usual. And if you hadn't been spying on me and Sev, no one would have got in trouble in the first place.'

Jamie sneered. 'Yeah, well, you and your precious Sev wouldn't have had a run-in with us at all if she wasn't chatting it up with You-Know-Who everytime your back's turned.'

'Call me Sev again, Potter, and I'll hex you,' growled Snape.

Sirius stepped forward menacingly. 'Is that a threat, Snivelly?'

'She's not even denying it!' exclaimed Jamie.

'That's because your accusations are so wildly absurd, that it would be beneath her dignity to answer them,' snapped Lillian. 'And don't call her that,' he added, looking at Sirius, his tone a bit softer.

'Let her speak for herself,' Sirius said. 'Surely, all snakes must have tongues.'

Petra grinned. 'Good one, mate.' She reached for a high-five.

Lillian looked helplessly at Severa. 'Go on. Tell them. You wouldn't possibly be working for the Darkest wizard in the last century, would you, Severa?' 

Severa curled her lip and glared balefully at the Gryffindor girls. ' 'Course not,' she said, turning away, and letting her hair fall over her eyes. 'We should get a start before Kettleburn gets back and sets us something worse.'

As they all had to grudgingly agree with her, Myrtle swooped down from her ledge, where she'd been watching them squabble. 'Oh, you're not going to stop fighting now, are you?' she asked in dismay. 'I was enjoying that. Merlin knows, after years of being dead, it does tend to get a little -- well, dead.' She floated into a cubicle, and stared into the toilet bowl remniscently. 

'You're not going to help us, are you?' Petra asked hopefully. 'Professor Kettleburn said you would!'

Myrtle reversed, and zoomed through Petra, making her feel as though she'd walked through a cold shower. 'Of course not,' she replied scornfully. 'I'm here to watch, and think about my death in a u-bend. I may or may not be paying a visit to the Prefect's bathroom later. Mops and sponges are in the last stall,' she said, before shrieking and jumping head-first into the nearest toilet.

The toilet gurgled, and regurgitated a lump of wet tissue, which landed heavily a few feet away from them all.

Petra looked at it with disgust. 'Well, fat lot of help she was.'

'I suspect Kettleburn meant her as more of a punishment than a source of help,' said Lillian.

Jamie shivered. 'Whatever you do, don't let her hear you say that. I heard she followed around a girl who was rude to her for the rest of her life, and you do not want to hear what happened at her brother's wedding.'

'I'm not so sure I do.'

'I do!' Sirius said.

Jamie shook her head. 'Not a chance.'

Petra had returned from the toilet stall, armed with brooms and buckets. 'We might as well get a move on. We're only wasting our own time, and I don't want to be here as much as any of you do. So for all of our sakes, why don't you all agree to a temporary truce, and once this detention is over, you can all have as many goes at each other as you all want. Okay?'

Jamie and Sirius exchanged glances, as did Severa and Lillian. 'All right then,' said Jamie slowly. 'But we're not shaking hands or anything like that. A great future Quidditch player like me can't risk coming into contact with any deadly pathogens from the likes of Snivella.'

Severa's flat black eyes glinted from underneath her hair. 'Trust me, Potter, I have about as much desire to shake your hand as you have to snog a mountain troll,' she drawled.

Lillian elbowed her. 'Truce!' he hissed.

'Sorry,' muttered Severa, not looking very sorry at all. Nevertheless, she took a mop, and soon all five of them were hard at work.

'I can almost sympathise with Filch,' Jamie groaned, scrubbing away at a stain on the wall, 'having to clean up after all of us and Myrtle's little misery parties.'

Sirius snorted. 'Sympathising with Filch? You've gone soft, my friend.'

'Yeah,' Petra added. 'And he has magic, and we don't!'

'Actually,' Severa drawled from the sinks, 'he doesn't.'

Sirius crinkled her nose in disgust. 'Who said you could talk to us? Having a truce doesn't make us all buddy-buddy, Snivelly.'

'Truce,' muttered Petra lowly, as Lillian scowled.

Jamie's eyes narrowed. 'Wait -- what d'you mean, Filch doesn't use magic?' she demanded. ' 'Course he ruddy uses magic, he's a wizard, isn't he?'

Severa only smirked, giving Jamie a knowing look as she polished the taps.

Jamie let her mop clatter to the floor. 'Well clearly you have something to say,' she said in annoyance, 'so go on and say it!'

'Ask nicely, and I might,' replied Severa infuriatingly.

'Don't do it, mate, she's just trying to wind you up,' Sirius advised.

Jamie visibly tried to fight her curiosity, and then lost. 'Will you tell me why Filch doesn't use magic?' 

'Nicer,' Severa ordered.

Jamie clenched her teeth. 'Will you please tell me why Filch doesn't use magic?'

'Hmm... Still not as good as I'd hoped, but I suppose it'll have to do for now. Filch is a common Squib.'

Jamie's brow wrinkled. 'A what?'

'A squib,' repeated Severa.

A gleeful look crossed her face as Jamie still looked confused. 'You don't know what a Squib is?'

Jamie stood silently, reluctant to answer.

Severa looked around at Lillian, Jamie, and Petra's bewildered faces. 'You mean none of you know?'

Jamie stared at Severa, hating her in her delight more than she ever had.

'I do.'

Severa sneered at Sirius. 'Of course. The heir to the Noble and Moste Ancient House of Black -- how could you not?'

Sirius ignored her. 'You lot probably don't know either because your parents aren't magical -- or just because you come from a nice family.

'My family's obsessed with Blood Purity -- and so was I, until a year or so ago. My mother has a massive tapestry of the family tree in the drawing room. I remember her blasting some cousin of hers off her family tree a few years ago because their child was a Squib. He was born to magical parents, but didn't have powers,' she said quietly. Lillian looked at Sirius with sympathy in his eyes.

The room was silent, apart from the occasional gurgle of Myrtle's toilet as she zipped around in the pipes.

'So -- so if Filch is a Squib, how can he come to Hogwarts?' asked Lillian uncertainly. 'He's basically a Muggle, and Muggles can't see Hogwarts.'

'Can't they?' inquired Jamie with interest.

She was ignored.

Sirius shook her head. 'Squibs aren't the same as Muggles -- they can see Hogwarts, the Leaky Cauldron, and other magical places just fine. They just can't do any magic.'

'Poor Filch!' said Lillian sympathetically.

Jamie looked at him in disgust.'Now don't make me go throw up, please.'

'Don't!' said Petra in alarm. 'There's enough mess around here as it is.'

'I think you spoke too soon,' said Sirius darkly, as Dolores Umbridge walked in, humming a sickening little tune to herself. She had pale pink robes on, and a little bag with a meowing kitten on it.

Even Severa's lip curled in disgust.

As Dolores walked to the sinks to wash her hands, Sirius cleared her throat loudly, and began to wring out her mop in her bucket threateningly.

Dolores jumped, and her eyes widened in alarm as she took in the hostility in the momentarily united gang's eyes.

She hastily turned around, and pretended to check a mark on her cheek whilst eyeing Sirius in the mirror.

'Happy to see us, Dolores?' Sirius asked loudly. 'We're happy to see you, aren't we, lasses?'

There was a nod from everyone, including Lillian, whose eyes sparkled dangerously.

Dolores opened her mouth to retort, but then thought better of it, and began to walk towards the door.

'Well, don't ignore us, love!' Jamie called after her.

Once she was at what she deemed a safe distance, Dolores primly replied, 'I have no wish to associate with Mudbloods and Mudblood lovers such as you lot.'

She reached for the door, but it was already too late. Sirius had grabbed her arms, and had them pinned to her side.

'What did you say, halfblood?' she asked viciously. 

Dolores cast about a frightened look as the others circled around her. 'I -- am -- not -- a halfblood!' she exclaimed. 'Severa, help me!'

Severa gnawed her lip thoughtfully. 'Can't,' she said at last. 'Outnumbered.'

Dolores let out a scream of frustration as Sirius pushed her against the door. 'You are being deliberately unhelpful! Professor Slughorn will hear about this!'

'So will my father,' scoffed Severa.

'Your father is a filthy Muggle drunk!' said Dolores vehemently.

'And yours is a common Minstry cleaner whose Muggle wife left him,' Sirius interjected smoothly. 'Oh, yes, I know all about your family. Didn't you know that I do my research, after our last encounter?'

Dolores glared weakly at her, all the fight gone. 'Lies,' she muttered.

Lillian rolled his eyes. 'Nobody cares about you or your dad, just don't start having a go at our parents.'

Dolores's nostrils flared. 'Do not speak to me like that, you little Mudblood!'

Lillian's jaw dropped, as Jamie edged forward, rolling her sleeves up. 'Thought we taught you your lesson last time. Looks like we'll have to go over the finer points again.'

Lillian allowed a faint smile to cross his mouth.

'I'm sorry!' cried Dolores, as Sirius's nails dug into her arms, and Jamie came closer. 'I'm sorry! I truly am!'

Jamie exchanged dubious looks with Sirius. If Remus had been here, she'd have stopped them immediately. Sirius shrugged, and jerked her chin towards Lillian. 

Jamie met Lillian's gaze for a moment. She nodded, understanding. 'Apologise, and we might let you escape relatively unscathed.'

Dolores's face was now smushed against the shabby wood of the toilet door. She tried to look back at Sirius, who increased the pressure of her hold.

'Yes, yes!' she panted desperately. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you a -- a--'

Jamie nodded encouragingly.

'--a Mudblood.'

'Don't say that word!' snarled Sirius. Remus wasn't here.

Dolores wheezed.

'Let her go,' Lillian ordered. 'She's said she's sorry.'

Sirius sighed, and banged Dolores's head into the door before releasing her reluctantly. 

Dolores stumbled away unsteadily, before fixing them all with a wide-eyed, frightened stare, and scampering away.

Severa sighed and leaned against a cubicle door. 'Let's hope she doesn't actually tell Slughorn, or we're all for it.'

'She'd better not,' said Jamie fiercely.

Lillian just stared forlornly at the space where Dolores had been seconds before.


	45. Barbarossa Brocklewank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaay, my own house, Brocklewank. You'll be seeing a lot of this house. Brocklewank >> Gryffindor. Fite me

'Would you _stop_?' Lillian asked irritably, looking up at the rowdy group on the row above him. It was the first Quidditch match of the delayed season, Ravenclaw Vs. Slytherin, and although everyone else was screaming the name of their favoured team, this bunch were taking it to the next level. 'Who are you even supporting anyway?'

Sirius, Jamie, Frankie and Petra continued to ignore him and bellow, waving around flamboyant purple and pale green posters. 'BROCKLEWANK! BROCKLEWANK! BROCKLEWANK!' they chanted repeatedly.

Despite the pandemonium around them, they were starting to get odd looks from all around the stadium. They were dressed in all shades of purple and green, and stood out from the blue-clad Gryffindors, who were in support of Ravenclaw by default.

Alex Prewett's jaw clenched. He turned around to face Frankie, who he could be sure would answer him. 'What, in the name of Merlin, Morgana, and Mordred above is going on?' he demanded.

Frankie flushed, tongue-tied. 'I'm -- we're --'

Jamie took over. Frankie was a poor substitute for Remus, she thought privately. 'We're supporting our own house. We,' she said grandly, 'are Brocklewank house. We stand for pride, honour, justice, annnd... terrible jokes.'

'This sounds like a really bad imitation of Gryffindor,' muttered Mason McKinnon to Alex.

'Well at least we all know which one of you is the terrible joke,' said Lillian snidely. 'To say you stand for immaturity, insecurity, inconvenience, and general pains in the arse would be a lot more apt, I'd say.'

'And this,' said Jamie, ignoring Lillian magnificently, 'is our noble founder, the great warrior queen, Barbarossa Brocklewank!'

She waved expansively at Sirius, who pretended to blush and wave.

'You don't even have a mascot,' scoffed Lillian.

'Sure we do,' said Jamie unconcernedly. 'What was it again, Barbarossa?'

Sirius thought for a moment. 'The Crumple-Horned Snorcack,' she said quickly. 'Darling Xeno and I had simply the greatest chat, and he's really quite enlightened.'

Lillian nodded mordantly. 'I can see you've thought this through.'

Petra grinned. 'Spent all of last night making our posters.'

Lillian was forced to look at the horrific things again, as Sirius remembered that they were meant to be supporting their own house. 'BROCKLEWANK!' she shouted, and the others echoed the war cry.

'BROCKLEWANK!'

Mason looked shoved his face into his hands like he was about to cry, as the Slytherins elapsed into fits of laughter at the sight of Sirius tripping over the frilled hem of her over-sized tattered purple and green ballroom robes.

Sirius got up stubbornly and continued with her rallying call.

Lillian saw Professor McGonagall giving them the stink-eye from where she was wrestling for the microphone with Ronnie Gibbs, a Ravenclaw Fourth Year. He hoped she would put a swift end to this soon.

'I can't believe this,' whispered Marius.

'Neither can I,' whispered Lillian fervently.

The Brocklewanks were soon forgotten as the Ravenclaw and Slytherin teams strode out on the pitch, their brooms over their shoulders. The entire Quidditch stadium either whooped and cheered, or catcalled and jeered.

Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher told the the Ravenclaw Captain, Adam Hodges, to shake hands with Steve Laughalot, the Slytherin Captain. Whilst Ravenclaw and Slytherin tended to be on decent terms with each other, their smiles were still forced, and their grip tighter than necessary.

'On my whistle... three, two, one...'

The teams shot up into the air. The crowds' roar was deafening.

As the Ravenclaw Keeper narrowly dodged a well-aimed bludger, Mason gripped Lillian's hand tightly. 'Oh, I do hope Slytherin don't win!' he said anxiously.

Jamie roared even louder to keep up with the crowd, thrusting her posters into the air with renewed vigour, on Sirius's command. They were starting to attract more attention as confusion spread through the stadium, and more people began to join in, particularly the Muggleborns, thinking it was some sort of Quidditch tradition.

'BROCKLEWANK! BROCKLEWANK! BROCKLEWANK!'

Jamie swelled with self-importance as she nearly rivalled with the players for the centre of attention.

Lillian got up. 'Sod this.' He looked towards the Slytherin area, and saw Severa jumping up and down excitedly, waving at him to go over.

This did not escape Jamie's attention. 'HAH!' she said accusingly. 'Abandoning your house for Snivelly? That's fine I guess, if you want to sit with a bunch of snakes, love.'

Lillian shot him a furious look, and strode away with determination. 'Toe-rag,' he called over his shoulder.

Alex looked back angrily at him. 'Now look what you've done! Potter, if you're so desperate for his attention, then I recommend a good, strong draught of common sense and growing up. And you don't need need to worry about taking too much -- for you, there's no such thing as an overdose.'

Jamie scoffed. 'Attention? From Evans? I'd rather go out with Slughorn.'

Sirius elbowed her, her face cracked into an evil grin. 'Oooooh...'

'Oh, shut up, you,' Jamie said crossly, as she turned her attention back to the game as Ravenclaw scored, and the crowd went wild.

'BROCKLEWANK!' screamed the girls.

Lillian pushed his way through the suffocating crowd of students. 'Excuse me, excuse me...'

He got knocked over once or twice, on his migration to the Slytherin stands.

'Oof!' he exclaimed, as he was nearly squashed to a pulp by a large Slytherin girl.

A familiar palm grabbed his. 'Thought you needed a hand.'

Lillian smiled as he was hauled to his feet by his old friend. 'I thought so too.'

There was no time to stop and chat, as Slytherin scored their first goal, and the crowd went ballistic.

'Yesss...' hissed Severa gleefully.

She quickly tugged Lillian to her seat near the front. Lillian was glad to be with his friend, but wary of what abuse he'd recieve from Severa's Slytherin housemates. He was certain that Dolores would try to get him back for the bathroom incident once she spotted him.

He noticed Severa studying him critically. 'Hmm... that won't do,' she said. She reached forward, and pulled the collar of his coat up so that it covered his Gryffindor scarf, and she placed her own scarf around his neck. 'There,' she said with satisfaction, privately thinking that Lillian looked much better in Slytherin robes than in Gryffindor robes. The green brought out his eyes, and did not clash horribly with his hair like the Gryffindor red did.

Lillian did not protest, and continued watching the game, grateful to be away from Jamie and the 'Brocklewanks', who were still causing a racket. He could not help but feel his friends' eyes upon him, but reasoned with his feelings of guilt, telling himself that it was not a Gryffindor match, and that he had every right to support his friend's team. Besides, Professor McGonagall had given them another lecture on house unity and relationships after their detention in the toilets as well. Surely this could only be counted as making an effort?

'Could Lady Barbarossa and her bloodthirsty cult of Brocklewanks keep it down please?' requested Ronnie Gibbs, with an annoyed look at Sirius, who had paused her chanting to conduct the participants.

'We're at a Quidditch match, not your lair in the Chamber of Secrets.' She received a look from Professor McGonagall as she swore fluently when the Ravenclaw Keeper let in another goal after a Bludger to the head.

'FOUL!' the Ravenclaw supporters screamed.

'It was an accident!' protested the Beater.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and allowed Ravenclaw a penalty shot. The sound was deafening as Slytherin booed and the Ravenclaws jumped and yelled.

Ronnie Gibbs gave the Slytherins a filthy look. 'So, after that disgusting attack on our keeper, the score is at two-one to Ravenclaw. Serves you buggers right!'

Professor McGonagall did not seem to hear her. Professor Dumbledore could be seen openly chuckling.

Severa sneered at him. 'Dumb, barmy old codger.'

'Too right,' said another voice.

Lillian jumped. He had not seen Mulciber come up on the other side of Severa. He was leaning against the railings, watching the match with an expression of mild distaste on his face.

'Er... hello,' he said uncertainly.

Mulciber turned around to look at him. His nose wrinkled slightly. 'What are you doing here? Finished cleaning up dung?'

'I thought so,' Lillian replied sweetly, 'but it seems there's been another spillage nearby.'

Mulciber chuckled. 'Relax,' he said at Severa's warning look. 'We're just messin' around. Aren't we?' Lillian shrugged uncomfortably as he slung an arm around his shoulders.

'I suppose,' said Lillian shortly, shaking his arm off, and walking to Severa's other side.

He wasn't left alone for long, though. Avery came up next to him. 'Heard what you did to poor Dolores in the toilets. That wasn't very nice, was it? A boy like you shouldn't have been in the Girls' Toilets at all, let alone bothering them there. Shame on you,' he said, grinning.

Lillian could feel his temper rising. 'I was in there cleaning, for a detention,' he said through gritted teeth.'

'Ah, yes, after you all got into a dung fight in the stables. I'm starting to see a pattern here.'

'Nevertheless...' said Mulciber softly.

'Tell me,' interjected Avery viciously. 'Does a boy like you like using the Girls' Toilet?'

Lillian gave an angry snort, not noticing that Ravenclaw had scored another goal. 'Of course I don't,' he said incredulously. 'Potter and her gang of ninnies were being stupid and immature. We all got in trouble, and Kettleburn forced us to do it. Nobody wanted to clean the loos, especially after Myrtle and Peeves had another one of their parties.'

'Potter and her gang of Pureblood ninnies,' corrected Avery. 'Be careful of what you say, Evans. I don't deny, Potter's a brat, but a Pureblood brat, nonetheless. Black's in the Sacred Twenty-Eight, and I know Pettigrew is a half-blood at the very least, which is definitely more than you can say. These are dark and scary times we live in, and we wouldn't want anybody getting hurt, would we?'

'I'll take my chances,' said Lillian boldly. 'Now, can we please watch the match? Ravenclaw are in the lead.'

'Oh, absolutely,' Mulciber said softly, 'but first, I think you should apologise to Dolores. She's been positively shaken since she was attacked by a common Mudblood boy in the bathroom.'

'I didn't attack her,' Lillian snarled. 'I was the one ordering them to let her go. And don't call me that.'

'I'll call you whatever I want,' Mulciber sneered, all pretenses of friendliness gone now. 'A filthy Mudblood like you has no place at Hogwarts, let alone attacking Pureblood young ladies in the Girls' Bathroom.'

'I didn't attack her,' Lillian reiterated, 'and she isn't even a Pureblood like you say. Her mother's a Muggle, just like mine, and her father is a cleaner at the Ministry. There's no shame in that, and I don't know why she hides it. Black said so, and since she's a member of your so called "Sacred Twenty-Eight" I think she knows what she's talking about.'

'Black?' scoffed Avery, 'Black doesn't know what she's on about. She can't tell her mouth from her arsehole!'

Mulciber and Avery collapsed into fits of laughter. 'That's why she talks such a load of dung!' Mulciber wheezed.

'Yeah, what'd you think she got put in Gryffindor for? Her courage?' Avery cackled back.

'Okay, fellows, that's enough,' Severa warned. 'We're moving on now.'

'You're supposed to keep the bitch on the leash, not the other way round.' Lillian spun around to see Dolores Umbridge in all her pink and green glory.

He rolled his eyes. 'Ugh. Not you again.'

Avery stepped forward. 'Aplogise for what you did, and we may let you walk from this place.'

'I don't think that'll be a problem,' came a pleasant voice from behind them.

Mulciber and Avery collapsed into another bout of giggles at the sight of Jamie and Sirius in their ceremonial robes, which were now torn and dirty. Sirius held Jamie upright as her dress got caught under her sparkly high-heels.

Despite this, they still somehow managed to look menacing, and Dolores paled at the sight of Sirius, taking a few steps back.

'What're you gonna do?' taunted Avery. 'Sparkle us away?'

'No,' said Jamie, 'we're going to Hex you in the name of Barbarossa Brocklewank like the supreme cups of Flobberworm piss you are, and then we're going to run away before we get caught.'

'And Lillian?' Sirius input, 'Take off that horrible scarf. You look like a Christmas tree, darling.'

Jamie and Sirius raised their wands at the same time. 'Anteoculatia!' yelled Sirius, at the same time Jamie yelled, 'Mutatio Skullus!'

Lillian chuckled as Avery and Mulciber collapsed to the ground under the weight of their additional heads and horns. 'Puris Malusque!' he added, aiming it at Dolores for good measure. Pus squirted out of their noses, as Lillian, Jamie and Sirius ran off into the crowd, keeping their heads down.

'Fat lot of good you were, Snivelly,' mocked Sirius, as she knocked her into the pool of pus on the racks.

Severa stared after her friend forlornly, as he ran off, and as the Ravenclaw Seeker's palm closed around the Snitch.


	46. Damocles Belby

'Pssst... Evans!' Sirius hissed. 'Evans!'

But the sleek head of red hair did not turn.

Jamie looked at Sirius in annoyance. 'What're you bugging Evans about now?'

'Jealous?'

Jamie made a face of disgust. 'Of Gingernuts? 'Course not. '

Sirius smirked knowingly, infuriating Jamie, then went back to getting Lillian's attention.

She tapped the long, white feather they were meant to be levitating. 'Wingardium Leviosa!'

It soared into the air, before anybody else's feather had, even all the Ravenclaws.

Professor Flitwick looked up in glee. 'Well done, Miss. Black! Ten points to Gryffindor.'

When he saw that it was just to get Lillian's attention, though, his good humour dried up, and he took the points back. He took another ten points when Sirius replied that she didn't care, because her only loyalty was to the noble founder of her house, Barbarossa Brocklewank.

It seemed that Sirius Black was only talented in classes when it came to mischief making and pranks.

Glaring, Professor Flitwick turned to help a struggling Ravenclaw, who promptly set the feather on fire as it shot across the classroom, incinerating a stack of Seventh Year essays on his desk.

'Really!' Flitwick exclaimed crossly, as a jet of water shot from his wand, extinguishing the flames. He waved his hand about his face as he and the students in the front row began to cough.

Lillian finally turned around. 'What?' he asked with obvious irritation. His expression only softened slightly when he noticed it was Sirius. 'Oh, it's you. What do you want?'

Sirius looked around to make sure nobody was listening in, before cupping her hands around her mouth, and hissing, 'Have you had any news?'

Lillian looked confused. 'What on earth do you mean?'

Sirius rolled her eyes. 'Remus,' she said, like it should be obvious.

Lillian started. 'Oh!'

Sirius rolled her eyes again. 'Yes, 'oh!' She hasn't written for almost two weeks now. You said you'd ask her. So why hasn't she?'

Lillian frowned. 'She hasn't written to me, either. I do hope she's all right. I just assumed that she needed some space, or something.'

Sirius looked scandalised. 'Or something!' she repeated. 'Or something! Carrots, my dear, don't you remember our little chat in the library the other day?'

'Yeah?' said Lillian, evidently confused. 'And don't call me carrots!'

Sirius scooted her chair next to Lillian's. 'Anything could be happening to Remus. Anything. And you're just sitting around, saying 'or something' ', scoffed Sirius. 'Gingernuts.'

Lillian looked at her in annoyance, and shifted his chair further away from her. 'All right, all right, I'll write to her again, and see what's the matter with her.'

'You'd better,' said Sirius darkly, before shooting a filthy look at Professor Flitwick, who had been shouting at her for the past five minutes. 'I'm moving, I'm moving!' she yelled back irritably, earning herself another glare. 'Stupid old man,' she muttered once she was out of earshot.

Remus picked up the letter she'd been drafting, and then tossed it aside with a sigh. She was sure it had been a while since she'd last written to Lillian, and she hadn't contacted any of her dormmates either; for the past ten days, she'd been kept in a private ward to be kept under observation as the full moon approached.

Remus's parents had been forced to tell the Healers at St. Mungo's that Remus had been attacked by a creature in the Forbidden Forest to explain her magical wounds and bite marks, but as Remus's transformation drew nearer, lying soon became impossible.

It hd been arranged, that for the days leading upto the full moon, and for a few days afterwards, Remus was to remain with Damocles Belby, a famous potioneer who was developing a potion to ease the transformation for werewolves.

He had all the necessary facilities for a safe werewolf transformation, and after care. Remus's father had known him for years through the Ministry, and he had agreed to look after Remus as she could not transform in St. Mungo's without her name being put on the Werewolf Registry, preventing her from attending Hogwarts, getting a job, or having any semblance of a normal life.

It was quite a comfortable ward and she shared it with several other werewolves who were undergoing testing. At first, she had been outraged to hear of this testing, calling it inhumane, but Dahlia, the werewolf in the neighbouring bed, had explained to her that life was quite difficult for most werewolves, and that if putting their lives at risk during testing meant that life would be easier for other werewolves in the future, then Dahlia thought it was worth it.

'Besides,' she'd said, 'the risk is very low. Damocles makes sure that we're all as safe as possible. He cares for us all very much,' she added affectionately.

Remus could not argue. From what she'd seen, Damocles had been very caring, kindly, and patient, even if he was slightly fussy. The only downside to being here was that her parents could not visit, and that owls were unable to find their way there.

As Damocles explained, he had been forced to make the facility Unplottable, seeing as the whole operation was highly illegal, and he and the werewolves there could be sent to Azkaban or placed upon the Registry for the rest of their lives, making them a target.

Remus wondered if any of her friends had sent her any letters. Lillian had asked her to write to her wayward friends, but Remus hadn't had the time. She also didn't really want to, either. She had been asleep most of the time, drowsy on the pain-killers that had to be so often adminstered. The moon was tomorrow, and Remus still felt groggy. She blinked back the sleepy mist that was fogging up her brain and eyes, and wondered why she was even bothering to write to her friends. She wouldn't be able to send the letter for several days yet, but she might as well get started. The trouble was, she had no idea of what she might say. She still didn't feel like she could face Sirius after what had happened. She decided that the best course of action would be to write to Lillian first, and then, perhaps, she'd attempt to write some sort of a letter to her dorm mates.

She went over Lillian's letter again. It was quite a while ago, she mused. She hoped she hadn't offended him or anything. After so many years of solitude and loneliness, the idea of losing a friend was almost unbearable to Remus.

She laughed as she read of Sirius's antics, and of the rumours surrounding her. How far they were from the truth!

Dear Lillian, she wrote.

I'm sorry to hear about them breaking into your dorm room, and going through your things. I've gotten used to that, I suppose, living with them for these past few months. You don't know what 'nosy' means, until you've lived in the same room as Jamie Potter for over a month. Trust me on that one. What do you mean by 'extracted', when you say they got information out of Mason? That sounds quite sinister. I hope it didn't involve torture, or listening to Frankie sing.

Remus chewed her pencil nervously, not really wanting to write to any of her friends, but gave in, deciding that delaying it further was futile.

I know I've put off talking to them, but I promise I will as soon as I can. I'm really sorry about not replying sooner, but I really haven't been able to. I've been half asleep on pills and medicine half the time to be honest. It's really annoying. I can't think clearly, and I can hardly see properly either. I appreciate you keeping an eye on Sirius for me, though. What crazy things has she got up to recently? Do fill me in. I'm starved for gossip, and incredibly bored. I think I'm going out of my mind!

P. S. Next time someone asks where I am, be sure to tell them that I'm engaged to a vampire prince, and that we're going to be married outside of Hagrid's hut next Hallowe'en at the stroke of midnight.

Praying for your sanity,

Remus.

Now it was time for the letter Remus had been dreading. Writing it to them all as a group would make it less personal, especially if she included Frankie in on it. They often left her out of many of their activities, and she didn't know much of the inner goings-on, which would ensure that no heavy and preferably avoided subjects were brought up.

Hi, you lot, she wrote, making the letter a lot less formal than it had been when she wrote to Lillian.

I suppose you're all wondering where I've been, and why I haven't written to you. As you've probably all heard, either through Lillian, or rumours, I had a bit of a run in with some creature in the Forbidden Forest, and I've been half-asleep the whole time at St. Mungo's, on painkillers. I'm not sure what it was, but my money's on Thestrals, or some other beast that the centaurs sent after me. Merlin knows, they weren't happy about us being there last time!

I'm still not quite sure why Hagrid keeps Thestrals loose in the Forest. They're supposed to be invisible, though, which could explain why I didn't see what attacked me. Annoying detail.

Anyway, I've been hearing some rather unsavoury reports about you lot. Apparently you've been torturing people for information, breaking into people's dorm-rooms, and stealing letters? Now, I'm not sure about the Wizarding World, but in the Muggle world, it's a serious offense to tamper with people's mail. You lot should watch out.

I should probably apologise for not writing sooner, despite me writing to Lillian, and you must understand that it was nothing personal. She chewed her pencil again, trying desperately of a plausible excuse that would perhaps fool Sirius as well. Lillian sent an owl to me first, so I sent my reply with his owl, but I didn't get one from you all, so I couldn't reply with one. And it's very, very hard to break into the Owlery. I speak from experience, unfortunately. (Perhaps you heard something about this particular incident from your father, Jamie?)

You probably won't get this letter for a few days, because I can't currently send anything much right now, but I hope to see you soon, when I am feeling better. Please don't worry about me, or go around breaking into people's bedrooms and stealing mail. By the way, what sort of stuff have you been getting up to since I've been gone? Write and tell me. I'm dying to know. Don't be mouldy toadstools.

Remus.

She read over her two letters one last time, to check if they were cheerful enough, and didn't give away too much, particularly the one that Sirius would be recieving. Sirius already knew far more than Remus would have liked. She could only hope that Sirius didn't tell anyone, or figure it out herself. Then it really was Game Over.

She knew that she definitely wouldn't buy the story about the creature in the Forbidden Forest, or the centaurs, but she still was rather proud of herself for the Thestral story. It was a perfect cover up, which would explain why she couldn't give a description of what had attacked her, and how vicious the bites were. Thestrals had an undeserved reputation as agressive creatures, and Remus felt guilty at the prospect of besmirching it further, but there was nothing that could be done about that.

'Ahem.'

Remus looked up to see Damocles standing by her bedside, smiling. In his hands was a steaming cup of tea, blended with a strain of aconite. It was, as he had reassured her, perfectly safe, only it would make you quite drowsy for a while after. Remus gave him a small smile, and took it. 'Thank you, Mr. Belby.'

He waved his hand dismissively. 'Oh, it was nothing. And what did we say?' he said, in a mock-stern voice.

'Thank you, Damocles,' Remus said meekly, taking a sip. The tea had an immediate effect, loosening up her tense muscles, and quelling the itch in her skin.

His face broke into a grin. 'That's more like it.' He watched her finish the drink.

Remus handed him the empty mug when she was done. She yawned, feeling sleepy, and her eyes started to close.

'I'll wake you in time for your transformation tomorrow,' Damocles said softly, as she drifted off. 'Until then, sleep.'


	47. Flaming Owls

Remus awoke to a hand shaking her shoulder roughly. 'Remus! Remus!'

She blinked. It was dark, and her eyesight was still fuzzy, but she could make out shadowy shapes lined up all around the room she was in. She yawned, stretched, and sat up. 'Whoozit?' she said sleepily, her speech muffled by the huge yawn that erupted from her mouth.

Damocles' face came in and out of focus. His blue eyes were wide, and he looked tense. 'You have to get up. Now,' he said urgently. 'The moon is going to reach its highest point in in a few minutes. I'd put you with everyone else, but they're much larger, much more mature wolves, and it is highly likely that there are going to be more than a few fights. That's the problem with this whole place,' he sighed. 'And the Ministry. If only people weren't so close minded... well, I could have had a much bigger place, and then I could actually keep the wolves all separate. But unfortunately, I can't. The hospital is going to be full tonight,' he said grimly.

Remus cracked her neck, which was already feeling sore and painful, the muscles stretching and cramping in ways that were not natural in preparation for the transformation. As her eyes stopped being fuzzy, she made out Dahlia, and a few of the others she knew making their way out of the ward, and into the underground chamber, which was fortified with protection spells and charms to transform. Dahlia nodded.

'Come on, come on, we haven't got all night!' Damocles prompted her impatiently, checking an odd device on his wrist, with ancient runes, and odd diagrams of the moon.

Remus shuffled her bare feet into her slippers, and took Damocles' extended palm as he held it out behind him. 'That's it,' he said, immediately leading her off. They made their way down a few dark tunnels, like twisting catacombs in pitch black. The only noise to be heard was Damocles muttering under his breath, and Remus' slippers shuffling along, and the muffled thumps of Remus occasionally bumping into something.

'Here we are,' said Damocles at last, stopping. He fished his wand out of his pocket, and lit it. 'Sorry about that,' he added, noticing Remus' look of outrage. 'We had to go all that way in the dark for a good reason, I'm afraid. Top secret. Some of the things in these rooms... Well, if the Ministry ever found out, it'd be more than a life sentence.' He shuddered. 'Ignorance is bliss.'

Remus watched him unlock a barred wooden door in front of them, bemused by the whole display. What could be in those rooms that was so bad? Damocles flicked his wand, and the lamps on the walls immediately switched on. The room was large, and empty, apart from an odd loop of metal on the wall. Dust had collected in the corners in great quantities. 'Am I to change here?' she asked, her voice scratchy and painful. She didn't like the look of the room, and it had a dangerous, tight feeling to it.

Damocles nodded. 'It's far too dangerous to make to change with all the others. They'd tear you to shreds, I'm afraid. The room's been fortified with extra charms, so you should be safe in here. He checked his device again, and started in surprise. 'Oh, dear! It's that time already. I'd best be on my way. Oh, and before I forget...' Pulling a metal cup out of his robes, he poured a steaming concoction into it from a flask, and handed it to her. 'Drink. This should help ease the transformation.'

Remus took the cup, and stared into it gingerly. It was a deep purple colour with foam on top, hissing and fizzing sinisterly. Damocles had a wide-eyed, excited look on his face. 'Go on,' he said encouragingly, not taking his eyes off her.

She brought the cup up to her lips, and took a cautious gulp, wincing as it sizzled and burnt her throat like acid. He was still watching her. Eyes watering, she passed the cup back to him. He stowed it away hastily, looking strangely triumphant. 'Thank you,' he said reverently. His face looked ghostly in the odd lighting, and his uncanny smile added a positively ghoulish touch to it.

Remus' breath caught sharply as her neck was forced to the side, as her muscles began to stretch out of shape, and her bones began to melt and bend, shrink, and grow. 'I think you should go now,' she said, around her sharp, black teeth that were growing to replace her older, blunter ones. Her voice was frightening, deeper, and distorted, like one of the children from the horror films her mother liked to watch.

Damocles jumped, disturbed from his own thoughts. 'Why, yes, of course!' He gave her what was clearly meant to be a reassuring smile, and nipped out of the cell, closing the heavy doors behind him. Remus heard him bolting it shut. She hoped he'd see the pile of letters on her bedside. The strange sense of the slow, cold panic she felt was extinguished as her jaw stretched and groaned, and her final scream turned into a howl, blood flying from her frothing maw.

'So, did or did not have Evans any information on our little friend?' asked Jamie, using her Potions essay to put out the smouldering ashes on Petra's head. Petra mumbled her gratitude from the foot of Sirius's bed.

Sirius sighed. 'Nothing yet.'

Jamie reached over, and turned Sirius's Quidditch magazine the right way up. 'Your wand is spewing ashes all over us,' she said pointedly, as Frankie coughed, and shot a resentful look their way.

Sirius didn't blink. 'Good,' she murmured absently. 'I hope they're really, really hot.'

'Hey! That's not nice!' Jamie exclaimed, her eyes even wider behind her thick glasses.

_'I'm_ not nice.'

'Tell us something we don't know,' said Petra.

Sirius snapped out of her trance. 'Oi! Who said you could talk?' Her grey eyes were narrowed, and she looked deadly, small as she was.

Petra swallowed. 'I can talk if I want.'

Sirius's eyes turned into slits. 'Do you wanna die?' she asked, her voice dangerous.

Jamie snapped her fingers under Sirius's nose. It was quite cramped on the four-poster. 'Calm it, mate.'

Sirius glowered at Petra for a few seconds more. Jamie heaved a sigh of relief as the tension finally diffused. 'Oof! Hanging out with bleedin' Evans for a day's turned you into a ruddy savage!'

Sirius's head snapped towards her. 'Why are you always so caught up with Evans?' she demanded. 'Every time you open your mouth, all I hear is "Evans this!" and "Evans that"! So what if we hung out? It's not like we're best buddies for life!'

'Sirius, I think you're being a little over--'

'Shut it, Petra!' Jamie ordered, before pointing her wand at Sirius. 'Take it back, or you'll have a duel on your hands. And trust me, you do _not_ want to duel with me.' She raised her head cockily.

'I'll take _you_ any day,' snarled Sirius, sliding out her wand from her hair.

Frankie looked up warily. 'Nope. Not here. Reschedule. We're studying here.'

'Who do you think you _are_?' asked Sirius scornfully.

'Underappreciated,' replied Frankie, without missing a beat.

'Wow, so now everyone's turning into a savage,' Jamie said, laughing.

Sirius lowered her wand, and sniggered with her grudgingly. 'It's Evansitis. Highly contagious, spreading around the castle at the speed of Peeves.'

'Or Filch running after Sirius!' Petra added.

All of them laughed, even Frankie.

The laughter turned into screams when a large owl flew into the room, and pooed all over Sirius's bed. 'Agggh!' gagged Jamie, whilst Sirius leapt up. 'Ewww! Ewww! Ewww!'

'Look! It's dropped off something on the floor!' Petra exclaimed.

'I'm a bit more concerned with what it's dropped off on my bed!' said Sirius furiously.

Jamie ran to the far end of the room, and bumped into Frankie's dresser. Several photographs and ornaments fell to the floor with a crash. Petra screeched in shock, and the owl flapped its wings in distress, knocking the ceiling light to the floor. The tip of the owl's wing caught fire in the sparks, and it tumbled around in the air, hooting shrilly, and setting fire to the bed drapings and curtains.

'OI!' Frankie bellowed as Petra leapt onto her bed to escape the flames. 'That's my homework for McGonagall!' she said wrathfully, pointing to bits of smoking and blackened parchment floating around in the air.

Jamie was having a fit, coughing madly as smoke went into her lungs. 'I'm asthmatic!' she wheezed desperately, collapsing on the ground. Her glasses were smashed. 'Help me!'

Sirius was still pointing at the owl droppings on her bed and shrieking in disgust, and Frankie was lamenting loudly over her precious photographs and smashed treasures. 'This is all your fault, Potter!'

'Blame the flaming owl, not me!' Jamie coughed, her smashed lenses steaming up. 'I'm too busy dying over here to deal with petty accusations right now!'

Frankie dodged the fiery creature, which was still hooting in pain, and squawked as she crashed heavily to her hands and knees on shards of broken glass. The end of her plait was burning, and blood was sprayed everywhere. Someone down below shouted angrily and thumped the ceiling.

'Shut it!' Jamie gasped back, clutching her chest. 'We're in the middle of a crisis here!' She banged her fist against the floor.

'DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE!' the girl shrieked back.

'PLEASE DO! WE ACTUALLY NEED THE HELP!'

There were muffled swearwords, and several giggles of laughter, but finally heavy footsteps could be heard thumping up the stairs. The door swung open, framing the angrily flushed face of a Sixth Year girl. The blazing owl swooped past squawking, and a flaming Frankie raced around in circles, covered entirely in smouldering red velvet Gryffindor bed drapes, like a fiery red ghost. Jamie was kneeling on the ground at the far end of the room, her face blackened with cinders, her glasses smashed and steamy. As she reached out towards the older girl like a reanimated corpse, soot came pouring from her mouth and nostrils. 'Help,' she begged, ashily. Her voice was croaky and scratchy.

The girl took in the bloodstained glass and pictures on the floor, and the smoking furniture. 'I'm getting McGonagall,' she said hoarsely, before disappearing. The angry flush was long gone from her face. She looked like a ghost.

'No...' said Petra, who was beating her rug on the windowsill to put the flames out. 'She can't get McGonagall. We're _DOOMED_!' This rang out across the courtyard like a desolate proclamation or prophecy, and Petra retreated hastily, dropping the mat into the courtyard some stories below as she caught the eye of a Ravenclaw in the crowd. Judging by the shrieks below, this had not been the right thing to do.

'SIRIUS! Stop -- wailing -- about -- your -- bloody -- bed -- and come help your dying friend!' Jamie said.

Sirius turned and jumped when she saw Jamie. 'Merlin, you look ghastly!' she said in a rather affected tone.

'Now -- is not -- the time -- for criticism! Help!'

Sirius ran over, and grabbed Jamie from the back, and began to perform her own version of the Heimlich Manouvre on Jamie. It didn't seem to help much. Jamie only coughed up more soot.

The door swung open again. 'What. In the name. Of Merlin's baggy underpants is going on here?' demanded somebody in a furious Scottish accent.

Sirius froze. 'Oh sh--ugar quills.' She quickly changed her words as McGonagall's fuming gaze intensified.

'Oh sugar quills, indeed,' agreed the Professor. Jamie's eyes were watering as Sirius's arms were still wrapped tightly around her abdomen. She looked horrific; the tears were clearing paths in the ash that covered her face, resulting in a most peculiar effect.

'Miss. Longbottom!' said Professor McGonagall sharply, as Frankie continued with her blind bout of mass destruction in bed drapes. 'Stop that at once. And you--' she added to the girl watching eagerly behind her. 'Stop taking pictures. This isn't Disneyland with Professor Dumbledore.' She inhaled sharply as she realised what she'd said. 'Nevermind about that. It's a long story.'

She took out her wand. '_Aguamenti__!_'

Everything was soaked in a large jet of water. Petra shrieked as she was swept away, and slammed into a cupboard painfully. Her hair was slicked across her face, making her look like a drowned rat.

'Take Potter to the Hospital Wing.' The Sixth Year girl's friend discreetly snapped another moving picture with her camera, and darted forwards, holding a sodden and sagging Jamie upright. Professor McGonagall looked into her sooty and smashed up glasses. 'I succinctly expect this has something to do with you, Miss. Potter, and you can be assured that we will be speaking after Madam Pomfrey sees to you.'

She took in the wrecked room. 'What _exactly_ happened?' she asked in a tone of horror, once Jamie was clear from the room, and Frankie had stopped running around under her drapes.

'An owl pooed on Sirius's bed,' said Petra gloomily, as all three of them stared pointedly at Sirius, who had gone back to staring woefully at her soiled sheets.

McGonagall's mouth turned thinner than any of them had ever seen it. 'I shouldn't have asked. I see that now.' She paused, reaching out for one of the floating bits of burnt parchment. 'Wait -- is this my essay?' She read over what was still legible. 'It's very good, actually. Top-notch, Longbottom.'

Frankie looked pleased. 'Oh! Thank you, Professor.'

McGonagall noticed her bleeding hands. She fixed the broken photograph frames with a flick of her wand. 'Longbottom, you'd better go to the Hospital Wing as well. Pettigrew can accompany you. I urge you all to remain outside of this room until I find an elf willing enough to clean this wreck up. Black, follow me. You and I are going to have a little chat, after I put out a few fires you started in the courtyard.'

Sirius took one last mournful look at her pooey sheets, before slouching bedraggledly after Professor McGonagall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been away so long, but life's been crazy. Remus-la-swearwolf on tumblr.


	48. Yellow Submarine

Sirius kicked the Hospital Wing doors open sullenly. Three heads looked up at her.

Madam Pomfrey came bustling out from behind a curtain. 'You'd best watch it, Black,' she said, shaking a finger warningly at Sirius. 'I won't be having any of that sort of attitude in my Hospital, thank you very much. This is a place of healing and serenity.'

She poured out a small dose of blue liquid into a metal cup, and tipped it into Jamie's open mouth before she could say anything. 'That's the Respirare Potion. It should help clear out your airways, and stop some of the coughing.'

Jamie, who had been sputtering indignantly at this undignified invasion of medicine, coughed loudly just to make a point. Sirius and Madam Pomfrey both rolled their eyes.

Madam Pomfrey noticed this. 'Are you sure you don't want some too?' she asked Sirius dangerously. 'I've been hearing some very interesting stories about what went on in that hazardous pit of a dorm room you live in, and most of them centre around you!'

'That's right. Put the blame on an innocent woman who isn't there to defend herself,' Sirius grumbled. 'Right bunch of courageous Gryffindors you are!'

'To be fair,' Petra said timidly, 'It did start when you freaked out because an owl pooed on your bed.'

Sirius pulled Petra's chair out from under her, and took the seat by Jamie's bed.

'A simple cleaning charm. That's all it would have taken, mate,' Jamie said.

'Oh, shut up,' Sirius snapped. 'I've been locked up with McGonagall for the better part of the last century, listening to her natter on about 'growing up' and 'responsibility' and biscuits, taking the bloody blame for you, you bunch of stewed newts.'

Jamie put her hands above her head in a show of surrender. 'Hey, hey, hey! I'm an invalid. Be nice. Isn't that right, Madam Pomfrey?'

She stuck her head out of her office and nodded dutifully, keeping a watchful eye on the disaster prone girls.

'Frankie's an invalid, too,' pointed out Sirius, 'but notice how I'm not being rude to her.'

'You haven't even said hello to me!' Frankie complained from the neighbouring bed, running her fingers over her newly healed palms.

Sirius ignored her. 'Where's the letter?' Sirius needed that letter so much. She needed to know what Remus had been up to, how she was, and where she was. And above all, she needed to know if Remus forgave her.

Jamie pointed to the pile of burnt clothes sitting on the railing at the foot of her bed. 'It might be somewhere in there.'

'Jamie!' Sirius rushed over frantically, and started to rummage about in Jamie's pockets.

'Oi, mate. Be careful,' Jamie ordered, as Sirius searched the clothes mercilessly. 'I liked those trousers.'

'Trust me, darling, I have no desire whatsoever to be exploring your trousers,' Sirius retorted sharply. 'Where is it, where is it, where is it?'

Petra sniggered. She still hadn't got up off the floor yet.

'Aha! Got it!' Sirius returned, carrying an envelope that was relatively undamaged apart from the singed edges. She ran her fingers over it, trying to find a place she could rip it open quickly without damaging the already burnt letter.

'You can pick up my clothes before you even think about opening that, Black,' Jamie said, as Sirius left the burnt outfit lying on the floor.

Sirius rolled her eyes and huffed, but she picked them up and deposited them carefully at the end of the bed.

'Now you've got ashes on my blanket!' Jamie whined.

Sirius ignored her, and slid her finger under the envelope seal. She started reading the letter on her own, but Petra complained. 'The letter's for all of us! Look, it says so on the front!'

Frankie squinted over. 'That's true, mate. I'm too tired to get out of bed, so why don't you just read it out loud for all of us?'

'Read it out loud?' asked Sirius incredulously. 'What if it's private and she doesn't want anyone knowing? Blimey, just because she's not here, it doesn't mean we have to have zero respect for her!' She couldn't believe the cheek of it.

'It'll be fine,' said Jamie. 'Petra, get up. And Frankie, it's hardly the afternoon, how can you be tired already?'

Frankie muttered something that sounded an awful lot like, 'hanging out with you lot,' but Jamie couldn't be sure.

'I'll pass it around,' Sirius promised. She took a deep breath before starting the letter. This was the first correspondence she'd received from Remus in weeks, after she'd injured her so badly. Sirius realised just how much she missed her friend as she studied the loops and curls of her odd but neat handwriting.

_Hi, you lot,_

_I suppose you're all wondering where I've been, and why I haven't written to you. As you've probably all heard, either through Lillian, or rumours, I had a bit of a run in with some creature in the Forbidden Forest, and I've been half-asleep the whole time at St. Mungo's, on painkillers. I'm not sure what it was, but my money's on _ _Thestrals_ _, or some other beast that the centaurs sent after me. Merlin knows, they weren't happy about us being there last time!_

_Lies, _thought Sirius bitterly._ You never set foot in the Forest without us. You wouldn't. _The letter continued.

_I'm still not quite sure why _ _Hagrid_ _ keeps _ _Thestrals_ _ loose in the Forest. They're supposed to be invisible, though, which could explain why I didn't see what attacked me. Annoying detail._

It was so clever, Sirius realised. The Thestrals were magical creatures, which would explain why even Madam Pomfrey's healing magic couldn't heal the wounds that were slashed so deep into the smaller girl's skin. And the invisibility explained why Remus was unable to identify her attacker. She wondered how much experience Remus had with this sort of situation.

_Anyway, I've been hearing some rather unsavoury reports about you lot. Apparently you've been torturing people for information, breaking into people's dorm-rooms, and stealing letters? Now, I'm not sure about the Wizarding World, but in the Muggle world, it's a serious offense to tamper with people's mail. You lot should watch out._

_I should probably apologise for not writing sooner, despite me writing to Lillian, and you must understand that it was nothing personal. _ _ Lillian sent an owl to me first, so I sent my reply with his owl, but I didn't get one from you all, so I couldn't reply with one. And it's very, very hard to break into the _ _Owlery_ _. I speak from experience, unfortunately. (Perhaps you heard something about this particular incident from your father, Jamie?)_

Sirius hung her head in shame. Of course it was personal. How could it be anything but personal? Especially after what she'd done. Sirius only hoped that Remus could forgive her when the time came.

_You probably won't get this letter for a few days, because I can't currently send anything much right now, but I hope to see you soon, when I am feeling better. Please don't worry about me, or go around breaking into people's bedrooms and stealing mail. By the way, what sort of stuff have you been getting up to since I've been gone? Write and tell me. I'm dying to know. Don't be mouldy toadstools._

_Remus._

Sirius stared at the paper like she'd like to do nothing more than rip it to shreds. Remus didn't fool her. She never could. Sirius knew her best out of the five of them. She clenched her jaw and passed the letter to Jamie wordlessly without looking at her.

Jamie snatched it from her eagerly_. '_What's she been saying? Merlin, we haven't heard from her in a while, have we?' she looked up and saw Sirius's face. 'Oi! What's the matter with you, you sour old kneazle?'

Sirius tried her best to rearrange her features into a more relaxed expression, but it looked more like an angry leer. 'Nothing.'

Jamie looked at her, disbelieving and shrugged. 'Whatever, then.' A few moments later, she looked up with a smile. 'Hey! So it was her that my dad saw in St. Mungo's. Look, she's written it here!' She waved the letter about excitedly in Sirius's face.

Sirius gave her a sadistic, tight-lipped grin. 'Yes, I saw.' She couldn't believe it. Jamie was missing the whole point. Thick as porridge, she was.

'And she wrote about us breaking in to the boys' rooms! Oh look, she's told us not to be mouldy toadstools. That's a bit rude.'

Frankie let out a groan of frustration. 'Are you lot going to pass it around the whole bloody school before I get it, or not? Stop commentating, and hurry the hell up!'

'Are you sure it's even for you?' Sirius asked rudely. 'It doesn't exactly say.'

_'_Well, of course it's for me! Why wouldn't she write to me as well as you lot?' Frankie demanded. 'Oh, don't give me that look,' she huffed at Sirius. 'She's just as much my friend as she is yours.'

When Petra had finished reading it, Frankie snatched it quickly from her, and read it, a defiant expression on her face. She kept looking up at Sirius as she did so.

Sirius rolled her eyes, and took it from her as soon as she was finished, stowing it away carefully on the inside of her robes.

She plopped down on Jamie's bedside. 'So, are you buying any of her newt and nargle stories?' she asked tightly.

'What are you talking about? And you also really have to tell me where you're getting all of these wonderful creature names from.'

'Xeno Lovegood, I told you,' said Sirius impatiently. 'Boy's a genius. Anyway, we both know Remus is lying. She didn't go into the Forest and get bitten by a Thestral. She'd never go down without us.'

'It is possible. Remember when she led us right in there, and we met a herd of bloodthirsty centaurs who tried to kill us, and predicted the destruction of society as we know it?'

'Stop exaggerating, they weren't going to kill us, and they just said some old spoof about stars glowing bright and planets. And in any case, the Thestrals don't bite. I've been down to Hagrid's quite a bit, these days. He's quite interesting once you get past the fact that all the Skele-Gro he swallowed as a kid addled his brains a bit when it comes to deadly creatures. I've helped stop his house from burning to ashes about five times, I think. That's what happens when you insist on keeping Fire-Crabs as pets, that's what I keep telling him.'

'Well, as cosy as your friendship with Hogwarts' resident demon-keeper is, I still think that you have to accept the fact that Remus is -- well, maybe telling the truth.' Jamie tried to break it to her stubborn friend gently, but it just came out broken and awkward. She never mastered the fine art of tact.

Sirius threw her hands up in frustration. 'Argh! Well, if you're going to be useless, then I'm going to hang out with my _friend_, Evans.' She tossed her hair, and stormed out of the Hospital Wing dramatically.

'Close the door behind you!' Madam Pomfrey called after her. Sirius did not come back.

'I'll get it,' Petra offered.

'Would you?' said Madam Pomfrey gratefully.

'Yeah. Sorry about that.'

'Honestly. I don't know what's gotten into her these days!' Jamie exclaimed, and Sirius felt a prickle of annoyance at her arrogant, loud voice.

She strode down the corridor, and made her way back to Gryffindor Tower, after making sure to flick her wand at Mulciber and Avery when she saw them, giving them a bad wedgie each. They looked around angrily for the culprit, yelling threats at the air when they could not find one. People laughed as she went past, and she hoped the story hadn't got out quite that quickly.

She ran off quickly, before Mulciber and Avery spotted her, and leapt into the open portrait hole when she arrived, knocking over Fabian Prewett, who had been trying to get out unnoticed. He shot a glare her way, and stalked off.

'What's the matter with him?' exclaimed Sirius. A few girls huddled by the fire giggled and whispered snidely as Sirius went past. She ignored them coolly, but suspected they were looking at photographs of what had happened earlier.

Sirius dashed up all the stairs, panting when she got to their top floor room, and rummaged through Jamie's bags, looking for the Invisibility Cloak. She found it at last, underneath a dirty pile of laundry, and pulled it out, careful not to set off any hidden Dungbombs.

'Aha!' She ran her hands along the silky, shimmering fabric, and then draped it over her head. It was far too long for her, and she stumbled as she walked, but at least it covered her. No need to give the older girls more of a chance to wag their mouths when they saw where she was going.

As usual, she used the Sliding Spell, even though she was Invisible, causing some of the people in the Common Room to wonder whether the Girls' Dormitories were haunted.

She dusted herself off. She tossed a several firecrackers into the hearth, and took great care to gently tug at Jemima Perth's long, honey strands. Sirius made her way silently to the stairs to the boys' dorm. It was the fourth floor. She still remembered. She took another peek into the Sixth Years room, like she had before, but this time all was calm.

'...I'm telling you, them breaking up was the worst thing that could have ever happened.'

Sirius shook her head as she heard Evans natter on about some long lost Muggle band like he always was. Rock bands, Potions, and nerdiness.

She grinned, planning on giving them a scare, and swung the door open wide, and slammed it shut behind her. She grabbed Marius' feet, and pulled him off his bed. He went, squealing loudly.

'Oi!' Lillian barked, staring at an empty space two feet away from where Sirius was standing. 'Who's there?'

Staring at the tip of Evan's wand pointed at her, Sirius wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to reveal herself now.

'It's your last chance, before he blasts you to bits, demon!' Mason roared.

Lillian turned to him. 'No, don't be daft, Mase, demons don't exist. It's probably Peeves, or some other lesser ghost.'

Offended, Sirius made for the door, but tripped over a dirty undershirt on the floor.

'_Petrificus_ _Totalus__!'_ Lillian shouted.

Sirius fell to the floor like a ton of bricks.

Lillian walked over, and felt around with his foot. Sirius winced as she was bruised in the ribs quite severely. She tried to make a sound, but nothing would come out.

'Who is it?' called Alex.

Lillian knelt down, and gripped the Invisibility Cloak. He ripped it off. 'Black!' he said in surprise.

Mason came over, and looked down at her anxiously. 'Oughtn't you to release her?'

Lillian looked confused. 'Oh, yeah. I was getting to that. _Ennervate__!_'

Sirius sat up, gasping. She rubbed her ribs. 'Nice one, Evans! Did I scare you?'

Lillian gave her a stony look. 'No, you did not. You mildly inconvenienced us. What are you doing here? Again? You know this is off-limits territory for you.'

'I know, but nothing can stop me from seeing you, my darling Gingernuts!'

'Tell us why you're here, or get out. And don't call me that.'

'She frightened_ me_!' complained Marius.

'Like I said, I came to speak with you, Evans. Now, can I get up, please?'

Grudgingly, Lillian allowed Sirius to get on her feet. 'To speak about what?'

Sirius looked around the dormitory meaningfully. She dropped her voice. '_Remus_.'

'_Oh.' _A look of comprehension dawned on Lillian's face. 'Just go back to whatever you were doing, lads, I'm going to have a little chat with the Troll Queen here.'

'Oi!'

'But she's a girl!' Alex said. 'She can't be here.'

'Well, she is,' said Mason. 'Don't start being sexist, now. That's _soooo_ fifties.' Already he was practising some sort of dance in the corner, to a song that played in the background. It wasn't bad, actually. The song, not the dance. That was truly horrible.

Alex looked disgruntled, but went back to his magazine.

'I want to see your letter,' Sirius demanded.

'What? No!'

'I know, I know, Evans, but look at this!' she brandished the letter at him. 'Look at all the lies. I just want to know what's going on here, just as much as you do.'

'Piss off. That's private, something you don't seem to know the meaning of. Besides, I haven't opened it yet.'

'Open it now then.'

'No,' said Lillian, thrusting the Cloak at Sirius, and marching her to the door.

'Oh, well. That's a nice song, by the way. Where's is coming from?'

'The radio. It's the Beatles,' said Lillian shortly.

'You have a beetle orchestra?' asked Sirius with sudden interest, peering into the corners of the room. 'That's really cool. Me and the lasses should get one.'

'No, the band is called the Beatles. The group of people who sing the song?' said Lillian, with the air of someone explaining a concept to a two year old.

'I know what a band is,' scoffed Sirius. 'We wizards aren't that stupid. I just don't know what a rayd-o is. Don't be racist.'

'It's _ray-dio!' _Lillian said in exasperation. 'And how am I even being-- You know what? We're not even going to get into that. Goodbye.'

'_We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine..._' Sirius sang, as she was thrown out unceremoniously.

By the end of the day, the lyrics could be heard everywhere. Rumour even had it that Professor Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick were dancing to it in the Staff Room.


	49. The Headless God of Gryffindor

Remus woke up to a terrible pounding in her head. It was normal for her to feel like a jet of fire from the anus of a Fire-Crab, but this was something else entirely.

Her brain throbbed when she moved, and her eyes burned when she closed them. It was impossible for her to see anything other than the blurred, rough stone walls of the cell she'd been placed in, lit by the hissing gas lamp in the corner.

It was too painful to keep her eyes open for long, so she simply shut them, and wondered when somebody would be along to check on her. Damocles had said it would be a rough moon; perhaps he was preoccupied with the other injured wolves. She thought guiltily of the special treatment she'd received, and hoped that Dahlia wasn't bashed up too badly.

Her muscles ached, but not as awfully as usual, and her post-moon consciousness was not accompanied by the normal stinging and burning of her magically inflicted wounds and bites from her Transformation.

If she concentrated hard enough, when the pain in her head ebbed, she could remember flashes of last night.

There had been a drink... And then everything had disappeared in flashes of red and pain and howl-like screams...

Remus shuddered at the memory. It was never pleasant for her to recall bits of her Transformation after it was over. As if it weren't enough that she had to go through it once.

No, Remus would take the scars and bite wounds over these memories and the fire in her brain any day...

'Help,' she croaked, knowing that it was highly unlikely that anyone would hear her. 'Please, help me.'

No one came. Flashes kept replaying in the poor werewolf's head, and she began to cry as nobody answered her pleas for help.

Lillian stared at the open door that Sirius Black had just waltzed out of, seemingly headless, and cringed as he heard screaming and swearing erupting from the Common Room below.

Sirius Black, she had that effect on people. And it didn't go wasted on Mason either, thought Lillian pitiyingly, as he watched Mason prance towards the toilets, before glancing around and blushing as he realised what he was doing. Alex offered him a tight smile, before climbing into his own bed and pulling the drapes shut.

Lillian held the envelope tightly between his fingers, before deciding it would be better to read it somewhere he could be alone.

He considered the library briefly, before deciding against it: Severa might be there, and he wasn't quite ready to talk to her just yet. They hadn't been fighting, exactly, but he still felt slightly wronged by the events of the Quidditch match, although she was hardly to blame. He contemplated and dismissed several other locations before deciding on the Astronomy Tower. They had weekly lessons there on Wednesdays, but the tower was only in use after dark for obvious reasons, if he went now, he would be alone.

He raced to the door without a word, and slammed it shut loudly behind him, dashing down the four flights of stairs. Thankfully, the Sixth Year boys were either out, or silent.

He didn't have such luck with the Common Room, though: he was thoroughly rumbled by the sight of Gideon (or was it Fabian?) Prewett standing on top of the sofa before the fire prophesising the end of the world and proclaiming the arrival of the Headless Gryffindor God.

'Praise her, sinners!' he ordered, in the crooning voice of a preacher delivering a sermon. 'Praise her, or suffer her wrath!'

A crowd of shaken looking students were staring up at him with fear and uncertainty. Lillian guessed it had something to do with Sirius Black and the Invisibility Cloak.

'Oh, knock it off,' Lillian snapped, at the same time that Nearly Headless Nick swooped in angrily and began to defend his own status as the decapitated patron of Gryffindor.

'You're _Nearly_ Headless Nick,' Gideon pointed out fairly, yelping as Nick zoomed through him at high speed. 'Not _Completely_ Headless Nick.'

'That's Sir Nicholas to you, thank you very much!' said Nick furiously.

Lillian resisted the urge to roll his eyes and moved on quickly before he could get caught up in anything.

He ran down the corridor and up a few flights of swinging stairs until he reached the Astronomy Tower. He looked around carefully for any teachers before pushing the door open and going in, for the tallest tower was strictly off-limits unless you were with Professor Sinistra.

Lillian didn't bother going up all the way; it wasn't called the tallest tower for nothing, but he sat on the stairwell by a window half way up, and ripped the letter open eagerly.

_Dear Lillian_,

I_'m sorry to hear about them breaking into your dorm room, and going through your things. I've gotten used to that, I suppose, living with them for these past few months. You don't know what 'nosy' means, until you've lived in the same room as Jamie Potter for over a month. Trust me on that one. What do you mean by 'extra_c_ted', when you say they got information out of Mason? That sounds quite sinister. I hope it didn't involve torture, or listening to Frankie sing._

Lillian chuckled, his eyes taking in the familiar loops of Remus's handwriting. St. Mungo's still hadn't been enough to steal all of Remus's sass. He had to agree with her about Jamie, though.

_I know I've put off talking to them, but I promise I will as soon as I can. I'm really sorry about not replying sooner, but I really haven't been able to. I've been half asleep on pills and medicine half the time to be honest. It's really annoying. I can't think clearly, and I can hardly see properly either. I appreciate you keeping an eye on Sirius for me, though. What crazy things has she got up to recently? Do fill me in. I'm starved for gossip, and incredibly bored. I think I'm going out of my mind!_

_P. S. Next time someone asks where I am, be sure to tell them that I'm engaged to a vampire prince, and that we're going to be married outside of _ _Hagrid's_ _ hut next _ _Hallowe'en_ _ at the stroke of midnight._

_Praying for your sanity, _

_Remus_.

Lillian chuckled again, and folded the letter, putting it away in his pocket.

He fished around for a pen, and a scrap of parchment. 'Aha!' he said triumphantly, when he'd found a suitable piece.

_Remus,_

_You'd better keep praying for my sanity. They haven't broken in again -- not really, at least. Although Sirius did come in covered in an Invisibility Cloak of some sort, and gave us all the shock of our lives. I don't think she's quite satisfied with the letter you sent her; she wanted to have a look at mine, and she seemed quite agitated. She doesn't know what a radio is, by the way._

_You said I should keep you up to date with all the latest Hogwarts gossip -- but now I'm not so sure you want to hear it. It's got you at the root of it, somehow. The owl you sent to them did a poo on Sirius's bed, from what I've heard, and suddenly everything was either smashed to bits or set on fire. They're all in the hospital wing right now, apart from Sirius. Frankie's hair is a smelly, charred mess._

_McGonagall came up, and she was simply furious. I think I saw her trying to hide a smile, though. And your room is famous. One of the older girls, I think it was Jade or something took pictures, and everybody is talking about it. _

_That Invisibility Cloak you lot have is causing quite a bit of trouble, actually. Sirius ran 'headless' through the Common Room, I think, and now Gideon (I think) has started a cult worshipping the new 'Headless God of Gryffindor'. It looked like he had quite a few people interested. Nick isn't happy, of course. He was either trying to throttle Gideon, or hug his neck. I couldn't tell. He can't do either._

_And I think I that Jamie Potter has taught me a good deal about what 'nosy' means without us having to share a room, thank you very much. The 'extraction' of information from Mason didn't exactly include torture or Frankie singing (those two are _not _mutually exclusive events, believe me), but I think that Mason is a little bit enthralled with Sirius Black now. He's been acting even weirder than usual around her. I really hope he gets over it. I don't think they'd make a good couple. _At all.

_And don't worry about replying quickly, I get that you're still recovering, and you should take your time. I'm still glad you wrote to your friends, though. As stupid as they can be, I think they all really missed you. The lengths they're going to get to you -- they must really care about you. I suppose you're quite lucky, in a way. The boys are great, of course, but we're just not that tightly knit._

_When you marry your vampire prince, be sure to include me as your best man. Even if that's strange. I don't know how these things are done._

_Missing you, Lillian._

He chewed the end of his pen, and stared at the letter, hoping that he hadn't babbled on for too long, especially when her letter had been so short. Oh, well. It would have to do for now. It was starting to get dark, as Lillian could see through the window, and it was freezing in the stairwell. It was surely due to snow any day soon now.

Lillian put the letter away, and pulled out another note from his pocket. He looked at the brief inscription sadly.

_Pat,_ it said.

_Can't we talk? I don't remember the last time you wrote. And mum and dad aren't replying either. Please. I miss you._

_Love, Lillian._

Some of it was a lie. Lillian still remembered the last, horrible letter Patrick had written him. A freak, Patrick had called him. Perhaps some of it was true. But Lillian was determined to get through to his brother, no matter how difficult.

Even if it was just for old time's sake.

He stood up, and his back cracked. 'Oof.'

He leaned against the cold, stone wall of the tower, and began his descent slowly, feeling slightly numb.

He hoped that something had gone wrong with the owl post, and not that his parents were deliberately ignoring him like Patrick surely was.

He wiped at his wet eyes with his sleeve, and climbed back down the stairs, peering both ways cautiously before emerging.

He headed straight for the Owlery, taking no detours, although he nearly had a run in with Alecto Carrow, escaping her only because Slughorn was busy trying to coerce her into attending the Slug Club.

The West Tower took time getting to, and he was not at all thrilled at the prospect of climbing up another massive flight of stairs. Lillian was a sweaty mess when he reached the airy, circular room at the top.

The owls crowding the perches looked at him over their wings as he disturbed them. Soft hoots followed him, as he trod as lightly as he could, trying to find an owl to deliver his letters.

A large, tawny owl caught his attention. It was perched on the top row, preening its feathers energetically. It stared at him when he called it.

'Come on, boy!' said Lillian.

The owl just stared at him contemptuously.

Lillian continued trying to get it to come down. He looked around, and spotted a basin full of owl treats. He grabbed a large handful, and shook it temptingly so that the owl could see it.

'Here, boy!'

The owl opened one eye and peered down at him. It hopped off its perch willingly enough when it spotted the treats.

'That's it,' crooned Lillian, slipping Remus's letter into the owl's pouch. 'You wouldn't mind taking this to my brother, too, would you?'

The owl gobbled down the last of the owl treats, and released its painful grip on Lillian's arm. It nibbled his ear affectionately, and took off.

Lillian watched it go, soon a dark speck against the pale December skies. He jumped when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

'Patrick? You're still sending letters to _that_ depraved Flobberworm?'


	50. You're Special

'And,' Severa continued, speaking to Lillian for the first time in a while, 'the owl's name is Eugenia. She's a she, not a he. I should know. I come up here to escape the rest of them sometimes,' she admitted.

'I - I didn't know,' Lillian stuttered.

Severa shoved her pink hands deep into her robes. 'Yeah, well.'

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them. The past few days since the match had not been easy for her, and the older Slytherins were just as horrible as ever. On top of that, the thoughts of others had not stopped invading her mind, and the Dark Lord's followers were being extra careful, so she didn't know much, despite her alleged Legilimency.

'Look, I'm sorry about the Quidditch match,' Severa said abruptly. 'They were horrible and stupid, and maybe I should have done more.'

But it wasn't that. Severa had stuck up for Lillian. It was something else. Severa studied him as he shifted uneasily.

'It's alright,' he said, looking at her shoes. 'I'm sorry if it seems like I'm avoiding you. I'm not. You stuck up for me. It's not you.'

Severa placed her hand on the shoulder of her old friend. 'What is it, then?' she asked gently, looking into his clouded green eyes. 'Is it Patrick?'

Lillian shrugged unwillingly, and Severa's hand fell to her side. 'He's sent back all the letters I've written to him, and mum and dad aren't replying either. I can't tell if they're mad at me, or if Pat's done something to the mail.'

Severa felt a surge of anger. 'Of course they aren't mad at you! How could they be? They love you, and they're so proud of you. I remember, when I used to come over for dinner. Always asking questions.'

Lillian looked up with hope in his eyes. 'Do you think?'

'Yeah! And you haven't done anything that would make them angry, besides.'

Lillian shrugged uneasily. 'I dunno. I mean, I guess I sort of gallivanted off to Hogwarts and then left them all alone. They might feel like I've neglected them. And I get why Patrick hates me.'

Severa frowned. 'Yeah, well, Patrick is a prat. He's always been jealous of you. Because you have what he never could. You're _special_.'

Lillian looked up, his eyes full of hurt and frustration. 'Well if it's going to make Patrick hate me, then maybe I don't want to be special! I'd give him half of my magic, if I could. If it would make him happy. All I want is my brother back.' His words trailed away to a miserable whisper.

Severa looked shocked. 'Don't say that. You're far better than he ever could be, with magic or without. And it's not just your magic that makes you different. You'd be special even if you were a Muggle.'

'I don't feel that way sometimes, when your friends start harping on about how filthy my blood is, and how I'm an abomination that shouldn't be allowed to enter the school gates.'

'Ignore them,' said Severa sharply. 'They're just gits. If I just try to stay out of trouble with them for a while, then we can be together all we like once we leave. We'll travel the world and go on adventures. Just you and me.' Her eyes sparkled with excitement, although both of them knew it was more complicated than that.

'All right,' said Lillian dully, allowing Severa to lead him down the stairs, and back into the crowded clamour of the corridors below.

Frankie looked down at the parchment on her lap, and wondered what to write.

They couldn't currently return to the dormitory, as the House Elves hadn't finished fixing the ravaged room yet, so they had to stay in the Hospital Wing under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey, despite the fact that their injuries had long since been healed. What an idiot Sirius Black was.

Frankie looked over at Jamie and Petra, who were busy scribbling their replies to Remus's letter. She remembered what Sirius had said, about the letter not being for her as well, and wondered not for the first time if she was doing the right thing, trying to get involved with them. Maybe they didn't even want her there, and she was only making a fool of herself by writing, when she wasn't wanted.

She crumpled up the parchment, and chucked it away from her.

It didn't land far away: it sat near the edge belligerently. Frankie gave it a filthy look.

Jamie looked over at the crumpling sound. 'Oi, what's going on, mate?' she asked, seeing the discarded inky ball. 'Aren't you going to finish writing your letter to Remus? She could do with one. She must be bored out of her mind, poor wanker.'

Frankie shrugged. 'I don't know. I mean, what if she doesn't even want me to write to her? The letter might not have even been for me.'

Jamie looked uncomfortable. 'Listen, you can't take everything Sirius says, well -- _seriously_. She's a bit of a prat sometimes, and she doesn't think before she opens her mouth. Especially when she's in a bad mood. If you ask me, she's taking Remus not writing to us personally, and I think she somehow blames herself for what happened, in that odd head of hers.'

'Yeah,' Petra echoed, having often suffered the brunt of Sirius's sharp tongue. 'She's just being stupid. Don't take it to heart.'

Frankie shrugged again, looking a little more heartened. 'I suppose. And Remus never actually said in her letter that I wasn't included, did she?'

'Yeah!' said Petra encouragingly.

'Remus wouldn't just write to us and not you. You're one of us,' said Jamie, although this was not strictly true, and Frankie knew it.

Petra walked over to the bed. 'Now, I don't know where Sirius is at, but when she's back, we'll be sure to have a word with her.'

'Pooh!' said Jamie scornfully. 'You're too scared of her.' She noticed Petra's glare. 'But yes, you should get on with your letter.'

Petra reached for the crumpled ball of paper. 'This won't do, will it?' She pulled the ends out and straightened it. 'There.'

Frankie took it from her. 'Thanks.'

Jamie watched Frankie write her letter to Remus. She exchanged a nod with Petra, who returned it importantly.

She should probably include Frankie more. Although, it seemed, that when they did, all that happened was that they all got sent to the hospital wing or put in detention, and Frankie got annoyed by their antics.

Frankie looked up from her bed. 'I'm going to keep it short.'

She handed her finished letter to Jamie, stretching it over to the next bed. 'Got it,' gasped Jamie, once she had a secure hold on it.

'You can take it with you to the Owlery once you lot have all finished your letters. And Sirius. Wherever she's at.'

Jamie nodded. 'Okay.'

She glanced down at the letter.

_Hello Remus._

_Haven't talked to you in a long time. It's been a bit hectic without you, these past couple days. But you'll hear about it from the others, no doubt. I'm sorry to hear about your accident in the Forest. It must be so boring stuck in St. Mungo's all day. I hope you get well soon._

_I hope you don't mind me writing to you._

_Frankie._

Jamie clucked her tongue disapprovingly. 'Why would she mind you writing to her? We've been over this. She cares about you just as much as us. You're her only other sane roommate, for Morgana's sake. Actually, there was the Floo and bathtub incident. Never mind. But that doesn't mean you're not important!'

'Oi! Don't read that,' said Frankie crossly. 'That's illegal, that is. And you didn't have to bring up the Floo Powder. That was all McKinnon's fault.'

Jamie put her hands up in surrender as Petra chuckled. 'All right, all right. I'm sorry.'

'McKinnon's weird though, isn't he?' said Petra.

'Aren't we all?' returned Jamie.

'I suppose,' mused Petra. 'Just not to that extent. Except maybe Sirius. You know, I still can't believe Mason said his cousin snorted coke! He's got to be bluffing.'

'I dunno,' said Frankie. 'He seemed pretty serious to me.'

All three of them contemplated this for a moment, until Jamie decided that there had been enough weirdness for one day. 'All right, lasses, that's enough! Let's talk about something normal while I try to write a reply to Remus' letter.'

She poked her parchment with the sharp end of her quill.

_Reeeeeeeemmuussss__!!!_ She wrote.

_We all miss you so much. Frankie's sort of been standing in for you, but it's not the same, and she knows it too. We've started a new house. Barbarossa Brocklewank, or Sirius, is our founder. We've got almost as many followers as the cult of the Headless God of Gryffindor now. That's also Sirius, surprise, surprise. _

_Olivia told us all about it when she came in._

_It was an unfortunate mishap with this really cool Invisibility Cloak my dad sent me. Imagine all of the great pranks we can do with it! We can even track down and beat up the _ _Thestral_ _ that got you. _

_It's a shame. I really want you to come back quickly. We need you for History of Magic. _ _Binns_ _ keeps calling me Jeremy _ _Perwin_ _. I don't know if he's noticed I'm a girl. Maybe it's the hair. But we're all falling behind. And, of course, we need you for your great friendship._

_There was a match between _ _Ravenclaw_ _ and Slytherin. I wish I hadn't missed tryouts, stuck in detention with bloody Filch. The schedule for the matches is all mixed up and behind this year, because of that player who went missing last time, but it was still amazing._

_Ravenclaw_ _ smashed Slytherin, obviously, but I can't say that old _ _Laughalot_ _ hasn't got a few really good players this year._

_And don't worry about the whole writing thing. We get it. Although I can't help but feel that Sirius still blames herself for what happened. I've tried talking her round, but she is unbelievably stubborn._

_I promise we won't be mouldy toadstools or break into any more dormitories. _ _Gingernuts_ _ has been complaining to you, has he? _

_My dad told me about your little escapade in St. Mungo's. He thinks it's all really funny. Me and Sirius found out that we're blood related, even if distantly. It really shouldn't come as a surprise though. I suppose most _ _Purebloods_ _ are related, one way or another._

_There's not much to tell you about what's been going on, apart from the Slytherins being complete arsehats as usual, and the dorm being set on fire._

_We have to stay in the hospital wing until the House Elves have time to fix it all for us. It's so badly damaged, they might have to get teachers in to help. The older years aren't happy about that, I bet. They've got to be hiding all that contraband as we speak._

_It's even worse between us and Dolores now. We had a detention with _ _Snivella_ _, and Evans, and a massive dung fight broke out. I think even _ _Kettleburn_ _ was placing bets. _

_He must've lost, because he was in a bad mood, and sent us to clean the loos after Myrtle and Peeves threw a toilet roll party. We learnt that Filch is a Squib. At least we know he can't do magic to stop us now. That's where we have the upper hand. If only I'd known..._

_So Dolores came in, and Sirius totally throttled her. The _ _Slytherins_ _ are out for blood now, and we only saved Evans from them at the Quidditch match in a nick of time. We're still trying to keep an eye on him._

_I've gone on long enough. It's not the same when I can't see your zombie face emerge from your blankets in the morning. Get your arse back here quickly._

_Your favourite mouldy mushroom_.

Jamie placed her letter on top of Frankie's, and badgered Petra to hurry up. Life was short.


	51. The Wayward Heir

Petra scribbled down the rest of her letter as Jamie whinged and whined impatiently.

'Bug off!' exclaimed Petra in annoyance.

Normally, she would have never said that to Jamie or any of her friends. But Jamie had been wearing on her patience as of late.

And Sirius. She'd never really let Petra feel like she was part of the group, and now she was doing it to Frankie. Always a Black, thought Petra bitterly. Her parents didn't like the Blacks either. They'd warned Petra about Dark wizards and witches in Slytherin. They'd been shocked to learn that there was a Black in Gryffindor. Petra supposed they'd never guessed that there would be children of Dark Wizards in the house of the lion.

No matter how hard Sirius tried, she'd always be one of them; always have that cruel streak run through her.

Petra ignored Jamie's rude and indignant reply, and went back to her letter. She bet that the arrogant Jamie was shocked to be receiving such cheek from quiet Petra. Petra, who they all took for granted. Sometimes she felt like Remus was the only one who actually appreciated her for who she was.

She wrote her greeting warmly.

_Dear Remus, _

_I miss you a lot. I hope you're feeling better and I'm sorry about your accident. The others are being gits as usual. Sirius practically told Frankie that you weren't her friend, and that you didn't want her to write to you. Actually, she did._

Petra scribbled down the words angrily, stretching the truth just a little. They all deserved a good telling off from Remus, the only one who could keep them under control. To some extent at least. Maybe that would teach them.

_I'm sure one of us told you about the fiasco in the dorm room. An owl did a poo on Sirius's sheets, and set everything on fire. Sirius freaked out, and so did the poor owl. I don't blame it. Imagine Sirius set _you_ on fire. _

Petra chose her words carefully, reminding Remus that what had happened to her was Sirius's fault. It would be Sirius's problem if Remus chose never to speak to her again. Petra wouldn't. She imagined what would have happened if it had been her. They probably wouldn't even care. And now they were making all this fuss about not getting letters. They probably just wanted to know what was going on. Nosy gits.

_I'm not exactly sure how it happened myself. All I know is, there was a lot of blood, pain, and screaming involved. _

_We're famous now, and for all the wrong reasons._

_Anyway, I'm glad you're writing to us now. There was a whole lot of drama surrounding that. _

_I miss having another sane person in the dormitory. Please, please, please come back soon._

_Petra._

Once she had written her letter, she threw it at Jamie. It fell to the floor.

She didn't get up to fetch it.

Jamie stared at her. 'Well? Aren't you going to pick it up?'

Petra didn't answer. Jamie needed to be ignored sometimes.

Jamie swelled angrily, furious at being ignored. 'Let me tell you this, mate, if you think for _one second_ that I am getting up to pick up _your_ bloody letter, then you are wrong!'

'Calm down, Jamie,' said Frankie tiredly from the other bed. 'It's not such a big deal.'

Jamie glowered at her. 'She's had a bad attitude all day, and I'm sick of it! The least she could bloody do for her injured friend is put her letter down properly and not toss it around like a bleeding Quaffle.'

'Piss off,' said Petra crossly.

'Oh, so now you can _talk_?' asked Jamie sarcastically.

Petra made a face at her.

Frankie sat up. 'Look, I'm trying to have a nap, seeing as we're stranded here for a while, and I would really appreciate it if you two jabberwockies could keep it down for a bit. I'll even pick up the letter for you!'

Both Petra and Jamie were silent as Frankie slid her feet into her slippers, and put the letter on the floor on Jamie's beside table.

'Thanks,' Petra mumbled, turning away from Jamie. She tried to doze off, but all she could feel was Jamie's angry glare on the back of her head.

Sirius dashed out of the Common Room, ignoring the screaming, and pulled the Cloak over herself entirely. It wouldn't do to go wandering around with only her head showing. It would cause a stampede. It was getting late, so the corridors were mostly empty, which was to Sirius's advantage. She shoved her hands into her pockets as she paced the halls moodily, looking for a place to be alone with her thoughts.

Her thumb rubbed the edge of the letter, and she hummed along to the song Lillian had been listening to. She stiffened as a bunch of laughing Slytherins came around the corner. No doubt they were up to no good. But when wasn't Sirius?

She sneered as she saw Narcissa laughing and holding Lucius' arm. He clutched onto her pale, manicured hands with a possessive hold. The Narcissa Sirius had once known would never have let anyone hold her like that. What had they done to her? She shuddered as Narcissa tossed her head in fake laughter, and her long sheet of silvery hair cascaded over her shoulders. Lucius twirled his finger around a strand of it.

One of Narcissa's classmates stared at this scene with disgust, and whispered something into the ear of the boy beside her. The boy nodded in agreement and stared at Narcissa forlornly. The girl next to him patted his shoulder consolingly.

Narcissa evidently noticed they had fallen behind, for she tore her attention from Lucius, who looked distinctly put out. 'Sheila? Clark? Do try to keep up. Otherwise we're going to reach the Common Room centuries before you!'

She laughed, and so did Sheila and Clark unwillingly. Come to think of it, Sirius thought she bore a distinct resemblance to a girl in her year, Moira Selwyn. Looking at the expressions on the faces of Narcissa's friends, Sirius thought that maybe not all of her cousin's friends were quite as bad as she'd expected. Perhaps they'd snap her out of it.

More Slytherins followed, and Sirius made faces from under the Cloak as she recognised them from various family gatherings or meetings. She retreated into an alcove beside a mirror, as she threatened to get swept away in the tide of green and silver.

She was seized by the temptation to start firing hexes as Mulciber and Avery came past, but it would reveal her position, and render the Invisibility Cloak useless. Snivella wasn't with them. Sirius wondered where she might be. It wasn't often they were spotted apart from each other, these days.

Once the Slytherins had passed, Sirius finally deemed it safe to emerge from her hide-out. She looked cautiously to both sides, before scurrying forward around the corner --

And then she walked BANG, SMACK! right into someone.

They fell back to the floor with a shriek of alarm, staring wildly in all the wrong directions to find their assailant. 'OI! Who's there? Show yourself, Peeves, you egg-bottomed coward!' The Slytherin Headgirl angrily drew her wand, and shook it threateningly.

'DROMEDA!' Sirius squealed, pulling back the hood of the Cloak, and throwing herself onto her cousin, who was sprawled on the floor.

'Sirius?' gaped Andromeda, her grey eyes wide. 'What? But how--'

Sirius peeled herself off her cousin, and waved the shiny material of the Cloak at her.

Andromeda gasped. 'Is that an...?'

Sirius nodded. 'It belongs to Jamie, but I'm borrowing it.' Sirius reached forwards, and pulled one of Andromeda's tight black ringlets, and watched it spring back, just like she'd always wanted to do.

Her cousin laughed. 'Ah, of course. I've heard of that little gang you made with Potter. Who hasn't?' She laughed again. 'Oh, but it's good to see you, Sirius. I guess we just didn't have the chance before. I've been so busy what with N.E.W.T.s, and Headgirl duties, and -- well, never mind.'

Sirius drew back. 'What?' she asked in concern. 'What is it?'

Andromeda shook her head, her hair swinging. 'It doesn't matter. Can I get up now?' she asked, with a smile.

Sirius scrambled to her feet. 'Sorry. Of course.'

The older girl grunted, and got on her feet, dusting her robes off. 'That was quite the shock you gave me back there.' An expression of concern crossed her face. 'So, how's things back home? What do they have to say about the white Black sheep of Gryffindor?'

Sirius faked a confident grin. 'They haven't anything to say at all, it seems. Even Reg.'

Andromeda looked surprised. 'Regula hasn't written to you? That's odd. She's been asking about you in her letters to me. She adores you. It's not like her to do something like this. Aunt and Uncle, though, they're probably not jumping for joy about you being a Lion.'

'That's what I'm worried about. I don't know if she's okay. I'm certain she'd still write to me. This really isn't like her. I hope they haven't brainwashed her, and that they're being all right to her.'

'Maybe they aren't letting her write to you. When I visited a couple years ago, they made it pretty clear they weren't happy about me and Ted. I'd say I've got months left on the tree, at best.' She smiled, but it was a shaky, fragile thing.

Sirius returned it. 'At the rate I'm going, I fully intend to see my name off that cursed thing by the time I'm out of here. And then I can leave.'

'The Wayward Heir,' said Andromeda, chuckling slightly.

Sirius nodded.

Andromeda knelt down so that she was on Sirius's eye level. 'Look Sirius,' she said, 'Me and Ted are going to be moving in together after this year. I'm more than likely going to get the blast. If things ever get too bad, do not hesitate in coming to visit us, for as long as you want.'

Sirius smirked. 'You won't get the blast unless I get it first.'

'On a more serious note,' said Andromeda, snorting at the old family joke, 'I'll talk to Regula. I'm letting you know, just so that it doesn't come as too much of a shock when you go back for the holidays --'

'I'm not going back,' said Sirius stubbornly. 'I'm never going back. Not if I can help it.

'I'm letting you know,' repeated Andromeda doggedly, 'that Regula _may_ not be the same person you know. There's always hope, but that's a fragile thing, even at the best of times, and she's not exactly a fighter, is she? She's not _you_. But you, you're a fighter. You can fight this. See if you make a difference. If anyone can, then it's you.'

Sirius shrugged. 'I dunno.'

Andromeda fixed Sirius's tie, which was loose and undone, and waved a wand at her un-tucked shirt.

Sirius jumped. 'Oof!' she complained, rubbing her waist.

'Think on it,' said Andromeda, straightening up. 'And maybe lay off the cheesecake a little at dinner.'

Sirius humph-ed indignantly.

Her cousin checked her tie in the large mirror to their left. She felt around the edges. 'This mirror seems to be a little loose around the edges. Maybe I should tell Filch about it. It would be _such _a hazard if it fell off, and hurt someone.' She grinned wickedly at Sirius and strode off. 'See you around, cousin! And don't forget what I told you!'

Sirius's eyes lit up as Andromeda disappeared around the corner, and her fingers fumbled around the edges of the mirror. 'Yesss!' she hissed, once her fingers caught onto some sort of button, and the mirror swung to the side. She scooped up the Cloak, and scanned the corridor, before lighting her wand and stepping inside.


	52. Fix Her

Remus woke up in a dark, comfortable room. Her eyes hurt when she tried to open them, but she kept blinking. She felt groggy and dull, but at least her body and head had stopped aching. The world was blurry around her, but she was vaguely aware of a presence by the foot of her bed.

'Whoozit?' she asked weakly.

The person in the white lab coat stepped forward hesitantly. 'Remus? Remus, it's me. Damocles.'

'Oh. It's good to see you,' Remus told him croakily.

'You might not say that in a minute,' he muttered. 'Anyway, how are you feeling? Is everything... okay?' He held a clipboard in his hands.

Remus scratched her forehead. 'Err... Better than before, I'd say.'

Damocles scribbled something down on the clipboard.

'I've never had a Transformation like that one,' said Remus wonderingly. 'I didn't bite or hurt myself, but my head hurts instead, and I feel really dizzy when I sit up.'

Damocles looked at her over his glasses. He was slowly coming into focus. 'Lie down, lie down.'

Remus looked at him uncertainly. 'Umm.. Do you know why... I mean, why was my Transformation so different?'

Damocles swallowed. 'There was a Potion... It was supposed to be completely safe... I don't -- I don't know what happened.'

Remus recoiled in shock. He'd given her a Potion without telling her? One that was _supposed_ to be safe? She had come here to be looked after, not to be a test subject. Dahlia had made it sound like it was optional. 'You -- you tested a Potion on me?' she asked incredulously. 'Without asking?'

'Well, my dear --' Damocles blustered, ' it is -- well, it is a facility for testing Potions, or rather, should I say -- a laboratory.'

'Right,' said Remus. 'Only I didn't know you'd be testing stuff on me, and from what the others said, it sounded like it was optional.'

Damocles winced. 'I've owled your parents. They should be here any minute now.'

He sat in a chair, and held his head in his hands, looking miserable.

Remus had hardly felt so violated in her life. The fact that someone had had the audacity to treat her like a lab rat. Like she wasn't human at all, not even just a tiny bit.

She didn't know what to say to Damocles. She'd actually rather liked him.

He looked up from his miserable slump as he heard a loud "crack" in the distance. 'That'll be your parents come to collect you,' he said dismally.

Remus sat up as she heard her parents' worried voices getting nearer. 'Where is she? How is she? Is she all right?'

They burst into the room, led by a harassed-looking elf. They both gasped in horror and anger as they saw their daughter. 'How could you?' shrieked Hope angrily at the cowering Damocles.

'Fix her!' bellowed Lyall. 'Fix her, right now.'

'We trusted you!' shouted Hope, backing Damocles into the wall.

Remus sat up straight, despite the fact that her head spun. 'What's -- what's the matter?' she asked. From how her parents were behaving, something must be seriously wrong. Something worse than headaches and blurry vision.

'I'm sorry!' Damocles said, not meeting their eyes. 'I'm sorry! I can't do anything.'

'MUM!' Remus yelled. 'DAD! What in Merlin's name is going on?'

They all turned to her sheepishly. 'Remus, we're sorry,' Lyall said. 'We're so, so sorry.'

'Her eyes!' gasped Hope.

Remus stared at her, and grabbed at the small mirror on her bedside.

'NO!' all three of them shouted in unison, reaching for the mirror.

Remus looked at her reflection and gasped. Dotted all across her face were black circles, and her green eyes had gone a demonic shade of red. She dropped the mirror, and it shattered on the floor in a million pieces.

  
Sirius shone her wand around the room behind the mirror. 'Sick!' she exclaimed. It would make a perfect hide out for the girls. They would discover all the secrets of Hogwarts. Jamie in particular would be so excited to see this. She didn't really want to tell Petra about it, though, No doubt that blabbermouth would only go and tell everyone.

Now, for the task ahead of her. She'd wanted to do this for weeks, but now that she was actually doing it, it seemed like a horrible idea. What if it was Sirius that Remus never wanted to hear from again, and not Petra or Frankie?

She could only try, though.

She got out her quill, and started writing.

_Remus. _

_It's me, Sirius, and I miss you so much. I'm so, so, sorry, and I hope you can forgive me one day. It's all my fault. And you don't have to lie to me about the _ _Thestral_ _ in the forest. I know, I know, stop interfering with your private business. But I'm part of the problem, and I want to help. _

_I understand if you hate me, and never want to speak to me again, but please. You can trust me with anything. You know you can. I'd never tell anyone, and I'd never judge you for anything. I can help you, if that's what you want. I've got big secrets, too._

_Your story's very clever, by the way. Thestrals are magical, which explains why even Madam _ _Pomfrey_ _ couldn't heal you. And Thestrals are Invisible, which means you can't for sure tell anyone what attacked you. Do your parents know the truth, or did you tell them the _ _Thestral_ _ story too?_

_You seem to have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. I know it's rather presumptuous of me to start making assumptions about what's your personal stuff, and your business, and yours alone, especially when I've done what I did, but please just tell us what's been going on. It's been happening for too long_.

_I'm also sorry for breaking into Lillian's room, and stealing your letter. There's no excuse, but we were all so worried, and you hadn't written, and I wanted to know if you were okay. All of us care about you, Remus. A lot. Again, I'm sorry if this letter isn't what you want, or if it makes you even angrier with me than you already were, but I had to say it. I'm sorry._

_Sirius._

Sirius f_o_lded up the letter solemnly, her good humour at finding the passageway vanished. She was worried that Remus already hated her, she just couldn't say it in the letter to all of them, and that the letter Sirius was sending to her would just make matters worse, but Sirius had to know. Something was not all right with her friend, and she was determined to help.

She put the Cloak on, and slipped out of the room beyond the mirror. She didn't know where it led yet, but it could be explored later. Once she was out of the corridor, she pulled the Cloak off and headed for the Owlery.

'Oi!' she heard someone call. 'Sirius!'

There stood Petra, in front of the door to the Owlery. 'What're you doing, mate?'

'I could ask you the same.'

Petra looked bewildered. 'I was just... I was sending off the letters we wrote.'

'Without me?' asked Sirius darkly.

'You weren't there. It wasn't fair to make Remus wait, just because you ran out to look for Evans.'

Sirius gave her a contemptuous look. 'Whatever.'

Petra squealed indignantly as Sirius pushed past her, and went into the Owlery._ '_Watch it!'

'You do the same, now!' Sirius yelled back, as her owl took the letter and flew off. People were so tiring, sometimes.

Remus watched numbly as her parents started shoving her belongings into a suitcase. Damocles watched miserably from the other side of the room, wisely keeping his distance.

Every now and then, Hope would fume at him. 'You're lucky we can't get the Ministry involved!'

'Should never have trusted you,' added Lyall stormily.

Remus couldn't take it any longer. 'Stop it!' she yelled. She got out of bed, and ran through the doors.

_'_Remus!' shouted her mother. 'Remus! Come back! You're not well!'

Remus ignored their shouts, and headed for the general ward. The dirt corridors were long and twisty and dark, like catacombs, but Remus remembered roughly where everything was. She burst through the doors, and ran to the bed beside her old bed. Already someone new had filled her place. The whole room was filled with sick, injured werewolves, and Remus was horrified by it. Many of them were bleeding through their bandages, and Remus even thought a couple might have bitten off a limb.

Dahlia was there, in the bed she always was. Her violet-blue eyes filled with concern as she saw the markings on Remus's face. Remus kept her eyes down-turned. 'Remus, my child, what happened to you?' She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream as Remus finally looked up. 'What -- but, what -- what happened to you?'

_'_Damocles,' said Remus grimly. 'He tested some new Potion on me without telling me, and this happened. Damocles did this to me.'

Dahlia opened her mouth and faltered. 'But surely -- he didn't know. I'm sure. He didn't know this would happen. He just wants what's best for us. Damocles didn't mean for this to happen.'

'Of course he didn't. But that doesn't change the fact that he tried a Potion on me, a child, without asking. Like an animal. We're nothing more than lab-rats to him.'

'We've all got to make sacrifices, Remus,' said Dahlia softly. 'It's for the good of generations to come. And who knows? When his new Potion is sold, perhaps it will wipe out the spread of Lycanthropy for good.'

_'_Yeah, if it kills us,' said Remus angrily.

Dahlia looked shocked. 'Don't speak like that, Remus!'

Remus grabbed her bandaged and bleeding hand. 'Look, Dahlia. Come with me. Or leave Damocles. He's going to test you until it kills you! He might mean well, but what he's doing is not right. If the Ministry didn't believe we were all inhuman or monsters, this whole operation would be entirely illegal, and he'd be carted off to Azkaban! It's insane!'

But Dahlia shook her head. 'I can't leave. There's no where for me to go. And you're very kind to offer, but you know your parents won't be able to find a place for me. There's nothing left for me, out there, and this is the only thing keeping me going. Giving me hope. I might as well give myself up so that others like us can live normal lives.' She held Remus' chin and stared into her blood-red eyes. 'Like you.'

Remus opened her mouth to argue, but Dahlia placed a finger on her lips. 'Hush. I've made my choice.'

Remus stared at her, trying to fight, but saw that there was no way of changing Dahlia's mind. 'If that's your decision,' she said heavily. 'Goodbye, Dahlia. I'll miss you.'

Dahlia's eyes shone. 'I'll miss you too, little one. You'll do great things. Just you see.'

Remus nodded, and ran off, her eyes swimming with unshed tears she was determined not to let fall. Dahlia looked after her sadly.

Remus ran through the tunnels, into the dark, tears blinding her vision. But she didn't need to see. Her nose guided her, and some sort of instinct that took over and told her where to place her feet.

She drew herself to a speedy halt before the door of the room she'd been in before, and set her jaw and blinked the tears away before her parents could see.

She pushed the door open, and ran into Hope and Lyall's open arms. 'Remus!' Hope exclaimed, sighing happily. 'You're back.'

'We're going to get you out of here,' murmured her father into her ear, casting a glare in Damocles' direction. He seemed to wither before their eyes. 'Come.'

He held out his hand, and reached for his wife's, preparing to Apparate away.

'Wait,' Remus said. She turned to Damocles, who refused to meet her fiery gaze. 'What you did today was wrong. You had no right to test your Potions on me, and you have no right to test the Potions on the others without asking first. Today, I'll forgive you, but nothing like this can ever happen again. And if it does, I'll know. And I won't be so kind.'

Damocles nodded, and backed away.

'Look at me,' ordered Remus, and he did so, shuddering.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered.

Remus nodded, and took her father's hand. With a loud snapping sound, they Disapparated, leaving Damocles alone with his thoughts.


	53. Her Eyes

Hope squeezed Remus's hand gently. 'Feeling better, Remus_ bach_?'

Remus smiled at the old Welsh term of endearment. She nodded. 'Better.'

'Listen, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry that he did this to you. We'll find a way to fix it. We'll make it better, darling. I promise.' Hope leaned forward and kissed her daughter's hand. The black markings had spread across her body, livid as ever, and showed no signs of stopping.

'That _coc_ _oen_ had better hope that we find a way to fix it,' growled Lyall, standing beside the bed. His arms were crossed protectively. Hope gave him a look.

Remus reached for the mirror on her bedside. She'd insisted on keeping it with her, even after they'd returned home, and gone to St. Mungo's again the day after. The cover story was that her parents had tried to seek other forms of healing for Remus's "Thestral" bites, and that it had gone wrong. Remus didn't like all the fuss, but she was glad to see Leah again.

Her mother protested as Remus grabbed the mirror. 'No. Don't do this. It'll only hurt you.'

Remus ignored her, and met her own blood red gaze in the mirror unflinchingly. She ran her free hand over her face, pausing to trace over the black dots. 'I've never felt more like a monster in my life,' she murmured.

Hope sighed, and rubbed her thumb over Remus's hand. 'Darling, don't say that. You're not a monster. Now give me that.' She held out her hand for the mirror, and Remus gave it to her unwillingly. 'That's better.'

They both looked at Lyall, who was pacing the ward angrily. The other patients were exchanging frightened looks. Remus recognised the Animagus lady.

A sudden pain pierced into her head. She raised her hand to it.

Hope stiffened in alarm. 'What's the matter, Remus? Are you okay? Healer!' she yelled, not waiting for an answer.

Remus frowned at her. 'Really, Mum. I'm okay. There's no need to disturb them. I'm sure they've got plenty more cases that are worse.'

Hope gave her a look.

The ward doors swung open, as Leah came striding in, her blonde ponytail swinging behind her. A bottle was in her hand, as well as a stack of parchment.

'Leah!' Remus exclaimed happily. 'How's Edwina?'

'Oh, she's excellent,' said Leah, smiling brightly. 'Speaking of owls, there's been some mail for you. Quite the stack, actually. You've got a lot of fans!'

So Damocles had sent out her letters after all! With a shout of joy, Remus reached for the letters, desperate to know what her friends had written.

But Leah retracted her hand. 'Uh, uh, uh!' she sang. 'Medicine first, then letters.' She poured out a dose from the bottle, and Remus drank it down.

'That should start fading out the marks,' said Leah, studying Remus's face with concern. 'She was no longer smiling.

Hope looked at Remus sadly. 'I wish this had never happened.'

Leah nodded sympathetically. 'It's why we advise our patients to stick to the approved routes and methods when it comes to Healing. It's quite rare that these unofficial, unregistered Healing practices work. It's mostly just a scam.'

Hope didn't reply, she just kept staring at Remus.

Lyall drew up behind them. 'When will it fix her?' he asked, somewhat aggressively. It was quite out of character, and even Hope was surprised. 'When will it make her normal?'

Leah turned to him. 'No medicine will "fix" anyone, and there is no true definition of "normal", as you say, but we can only have faith that it will lessen the blemishing over a certain period of time,' she said sharply.

'And how long is that?' demanded Lyall.

'Mr. Lupin, I'm afraid to say we're not entirely sure. We haven't seen anything like this before, and every case is different, but I can safely say that the medicine is producing favourable results already. Look,' she said, lifting Remus' hand, where the markings were starting to pale.

Lyall grunted. 'But what about -- what about her eyes?' he said, finishing in a whisper.

Leah's eyes turned sad. 'We can lessen the effects with spells and charms and Potions, but the eyes are always the hardest to heal. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. You'd think with magic, we could fix anything, and most things _are_ remediable, but it's always the eyes that are hardest, always the eyes.'

Remus' stomach sank sickeningly. She had always wondered why Jamie wore glasses, if she was a witch. This was probably why. 'So you mean I'll always look like this?' she asked Leah.

'That's not what I'm saying. It might take a while, and you may have to take medicine over a prolonged period of time, but we should be able to get your eyes back to how they were. Even if it's just with spells, or Concealment Charms, until your body finds a way of Healing itself.'

'But I don't want to use Charms to hide myself! I don't want to look like this, under a bunch of spells and potions! I just want to be me again!' Remus knew she must sound childish, but there was no way she was staying like this forever. It only made her look more like a monster.

'You are you,' said Leah gently, kneeling beside the bed. 'And you always will be. Besides, there's still hope. We've never seen anything similar to this, like I said, and we don't know much. We have no idea how long it will last, but we have strong reason to suspect it will fade with time.'

She lifted Remus's mirror, and held it in front of her. 'Look,' she said. 'No, don't look down, don't turn away. Look,' she ordered.

Remus forced herself to look up again. She blinked. It didn't make much of a difference, but the angry red light seemed to have dimmed slightly. Perhaps it was something to do with the moon cycle. She wished she could tell Leah, but of course, Leah could know nothing of her condition. If only people didn't have so much distrust and fear in their hearts. Remus would be able to tell them, and then they could perhaps use the information to come up with a proper cure that would work.

Her eyes met Leah's blue ones, and Leah did not flinch away or shudder.

'Can I be alone for a bit?' Remus asked all three of them.

Hope exchanged looks with Lyall, and the two of them nodded. 'Just for a bit,' conceded Lyall.

'That's a good idea, I think,' added Leah. 'Give you a bit of time to process. And maybe you should read your friends' letters. That might do a good job of cheering you up.' She tweaked Remus' chin, and the three of them left.

Remus waited until they'd left, before picking up her wand, and pulling the curtains shut. She wanted to be alone right now. She looked at the collection of letters on her lap. Frankie, Petra, Lillian, Jamie, and Sirius. Remus looked at Sirius' letter, and put it to the side, to read last. She wasn't ready for all of Sirius' heavy thoughts, or dramatic speeches.

Lillian had written to her first; so she would open his now.

Remus unfolded the un-enveloped paper.

_Remus,_

_You'd better keep praying for my sanity. They haven't broken in again -- not really, at least. Although Sirius did come in covered in an Invisibility Cloak of some sort, and gave us all the shock of our lives. I don't think she's quite satisfied with the letter you sent her; she wanted to have a look at mine, and she seemed quite agitated. She doesn't know what a radio is, by the way._

Remus threw her head back and groaned. Would Sirius ever just learn her lesson and_ give up? _She didn't think so. She'd have to have a word with her, later.

_You said I should keep you up to date with all the latest Hogwarts gossip -- but now I'm not so sure you want to hear it. It's got you at the root of it, somehow. The owl you sent to them did a poo on Sirius's bed, from what I've heard, and suddenly everything was either smashed to bits or set on fire. They're all in the hospital wing right now, apart from Sirius. Frankie's hair is a smelly, charred mess._

_McGonagall came up, and she was simply furious. I think I saw her trying to hide a smile, though. And your room is famous. One of the older girls, I think it was Jade or something took pictures, and everybody is talking about it. _

Remus laughed. Of course they'd be doing some stupid rubbish like that. She found herself missing them again, depsite all their apparent faults. She hoped that the marks would fade in time for her to go back to school soon.

_That Invisibility Cloak you lot have is causing quite a bit of trouble, actually. Sirius ran 'headless' through the Common Room, I think, and now Gideon (I think) has started a cult worshipping the new 'Headless God of Gryffindor'. It looked like he had quite a few people interested. Nick isn't happy, of course. He was either trying to throttle Gideon, or hug his neck. I couldn't tell. He can't do either._

They had an Invisibility Cloak? But where from? Those were supposed to be extremely rare. And if it was in the hands of Jamie Potter and Sirius Black, it only meant bad news.

_And I think I that Jamie Potter has taught me a good deal about what 'nosy' means without us having to share a room, thank you very much. The 'extraction' of information from Mason didn't exactly include torture or Frankie singing (those two are _not _mutually exclusive events, believe me), but I think that Mason is a little bit enthralled with Sirius Black now. He's been acting even weirder than usual around her. I really hope he gets over it. I don't think they'd make a good couple. _At all.

Remus snorted. _Me neither,_ she thought.

_And don't worry about replying quickly, I get that you're still recovering, and you should take your time. I'm still glad you wrote to your friends, though. As stupid as they can be, I think they all really missed you. The lengths they're going to get to you -- they must really care about you. I suppose you're quite lucky, in a way. The boys are great, of course, but we're just not that tightly knit._

_When you marry your vampire prince, be sure to include me as your best man. Even if that's strange. I don't know how these things are done._

_Missing you, Lillian._

Remus chuckled, already feeling uplifted. Lillian and the girls could always raise her spirits.

_Dear Lillian,_

_Again, I'm sorry about Sirius. I did sort of ask them not to do stuff like that in the letter I wrote to all of them together, but as usual, the Headless God of Gryffindor, the white Black sheep, Barbarossa Brocklewank -- whatever they're calling her these days -- has seen fit to ignore my invalid's requests. Please don't feel the need to show her anything. She's a nosy prat, and although she means well, she shouldn't be getting involved in your business. That's really _ _bogue_ _._

_And I'm not surprised about the radio thing. Four months into living with _ _Muggleborns_ _ all around us, and she still can't get used to the fact that Muggle pictures don't move. I once saw her trying to torture _ _Marius's_ _ t-shirt with the picture of John Lennon, to get him to move. She poked a sharp quill into his eyes, until they were all scratched out. I don't think poor Marius was very happy about that. Wizards can be so childish sometimes._

_I miss them all, but for the first time, hearing about what they've done to our poor room, I'm glad not to be there. It must be sheer chaos. Poor House-Elves who have to clean up after them! Sometimes I wonder if the Elves really want to be cleaning up after us, or if they're just brainwashed. I mean, what were they doing before they started serving wizards? We haven't been here since the dawn of time, and I'm pretty sure they weren't created for the sole purpose of serving us. No one is. _

_Oh, well. I don't suppose there's much we can do. Two young wizards against centuries of Wizarding Society. _

And one wasn't even a human wizard, thought Remus.

_I've never even heard of this Invisibility Cloak. It must be something new. In the hands of Sirius Black and Jamie Potter, the only thing it can mean is trouble. And you should warn Mason. He doesn't know what he'd be getting himself into. I pity all men the day Sirius Black decides she wants to get married. They should try sharing a room with her for a term. See how they like her then. WARN MASON._

_Keep an eye on them, and don't let Sirius start any more cults, please. I've got enough to worry about, what with bites from evil Thestrals. You can be my best man, don't worry._

_Missing you too, Remus._


	54. The Brother They'd Left Behind

Patrick stood by the brook. He watched it as it gurgled and gushed past, lost in thought. This was where Lillian and that nasty girl from Spinner's End had come, and then Lillian had forgotten about Patrick. Where they'd talked for long hours about everything and nothing, ignoring the rest of the world.

His brother had abandoned him for the girl who came and spoke of Magic, monsters, witches and wizards.

They hadn't even bothered including him in their conversations, even if Patrick was only a Muggie, or whatever the word was. They still had no right. Patrick kicked a stone into the brook angrily, thinking of how he'd written to the man named Albus Dumbledore, begging him to let Patrick attend Hogwarts. Dumbledore had refused him, but had been very kind. And then his own brother and that girl had gone peeping and prying through his stuff, and then they'd laughed at him.

The oily-headed girl from the wrong side of the tracks had waltzed into his world, and had stolen his brother with clever words and tempting promises. Patrick had been neglected; forgotten, and they hadn't given him a second thought. And now they'd gone off to Hogwarts, and Patrick was the brother they'd left behind.

Patrick held the small, insignificant note Lillian had sent him, no doubt that Severa had forgotten all about him and left him for better friends who were proper wizards. Lillian had sent letters before, but they were short, and unthoughtful, and Patrick had told him not to bother writing again. He had also prevented his parents from receiving Lillian's letters. If Lillian could not be bothered to speak to Patrick properly, it only seemed fair that he should not speak to his parents either.

Patrick wondered if he should even open it. He debated whether he should toss it into the stream, but curiosity got the better of him, and he ripped it open roughly.

_Pat,_

_Can't we talk? I don't remember the last time you wrote. And mum and dad aren't replying either. Please. I miss you._

_Love, Lillian._

It was a short, miserable note, one that his brother had evidently scribbled down last minute. For almost a moment, Patrick felt guilty about stopping the mail between his parents and his brother, but then he looked at the thoughtless note, and felt a vindictive pleasure arise within himself.

Lillian deserved this. He'd deserted Patrick, and now he was reaping his reward.

He would not deign Lillian with a response. Instead, he laughed savagely, and ripped up the sorry piece of parchment. He tossed it into the rushing brook, and watched as the little shreds were caught up, and carried down the river.

Remus put the letter she'd just finished to Lillian to the side, intending to ask Leah to send them off later.

Frankie's letter was next. It looked fairly short, which came as a relief to Remus. Her brain was still fried, and she wasn't ready for an essay length monstrosity of a message from her friend.

_Hello Remus._

_Haven't talked to you in a long time. It's been a bit hectic without you, these past couple days. But you'll hear about it from the others, no doubt. I'm sorry to hear about your accident in the Forest. It must be so boring stuck in St. Mungo's all day. I hope you get well soon._

_I hope you don't mind me writing to you._

_Frankie._

The letter was short and hesitant. Why would Frankie think that Remus didn't want her writing to her? Remus knew that Frankie was sort of the odd one out in their dorm, but they weren't horrible to her, and they certainly didn't ostracize her!

It might be best to let Frankie know that she was wanted, and that Remus welcomed her letters. Instead of sending one large letter to all the First Year Gryffindor girls, perhaps the best course of action was to send them all shorter, personal letters.

_Frankie!_

_It's so good to hear from you. I'm sorry about how crazy it's been. I heard a garbled version of events from the others. I hope your stuff wasn't too damaged. Hopefully, you're all back in the dorm room now, and the teachers and Elves have fixed it._

_Poor things! Sometimes I wonder if the Elves really want to be serving us, or if they're just used to it. Ah, well. That's the cost of sharing a room with Potter and Black. And I'm sorry that it was my owl that caused all of this. Well, not mine. But the one that was sent to deliver my letter to you lot. _

_By any chance, have you heard of the others getting hold of some sort of Cloak? I've heard some worrying reports, and I think Sirius has inadvertently started a cult. Do talk to her, when you can. And please stop her. I know she's partially to blame for the fire._

_It is a bit boring in St. Mungo's, but I'm to return soon, hopefully. The letters you lot have been sending have really helped with the monotony, and in keeping me sane. I don't mind you writing to me at all, and it's a welcome change from the madness of the others._

_Write to me again,_

_Remus._

Remus looked at her letter, satisfied. The last part should convince Frankie that she was wanted, and it would put the others in their places if they read it.

The next letter on the stand was Petra's. Remus slid her finger under the edge of the envelope.

_Dear Remus, _

_I miss you a lot. I hope you're feeling better and I'm sorry about your accident. The others are being gits as usual. Sirius practically told Frankie that you weren't her friend, and that you didn't want her to write to you. Actually, she did._

Remus sighed in exasperation. So that was why Frankie thought that Remus didn't want her writing to her. It sounded like something Sirius would pull. She would have a word with Sirius.

_I'm sure one of us told you about the fiasco in the dorm room. An owl did a poo on Sirius's sheets, and set everything on fire. Sirius freaked out, and so did the poor owl. I don't blame it. Imagine Sirius set _you_ on fire. _

Remus frowned at the words, not exactly sure of what Petra was getting at.

_I'm not exactly sure how it happened myself. All I know is, there was a lot of blood, pain, and screaming involved. _

_We're famous now, and for all the wrong reasons._

_Anyway, I'm glad you're writing to us now. There was a whole lot of drama surrounding that. _

_I miss having another sane person in the dormitory. Please, please, please come back soon._

_Petra._

Had something happened between Sirius and Petra? Petra seemed to be quite keen on blaming her for something.

_Dear Petra,_

_Is everything all right with all of you? I've been reading the letters, and there seems to be quite a bit of tension between you. I'm sorry that Sirius did that. I've already written Frankie's letter and sealed it, but tell her to ignore Sirius. Sirius doesn't know what she's saying, and she doesn't mean anything by it._

_I miss you too. I can't wait to be back. It's so boring here. Even though stuff like the flaming owl incident keeps happening, I still want to be back with you guys. You've been up to a lot, from what I've heard. Also, is there some sort of Invisibility Cloak that you all have, because I think Sirius has done something. It's complicated._

_I'll be back soon. I promise._

If I ever manage to get rid of the eyes and spots, Remus thought gloomily.

_See you in a bit, _   
_Remus._

She moved onto the next letter, moving systematically.

_Reeeeeeeemmuussss!!!_

She laughed as she read Jamie's enthusiastic greeting. It was a refreshing chance from the dolefulness of the last two letters.

_We all miss you so much. Frankie's sort of been standing in for you, but it's not the same, and she knows it too. We've started a new house. Barbarossa Brocklewank, or Sirius, is our founder. We've got almost as many followers as the cult of the Headless God of Gryffindor now. That's also Sirius, surprise, surprise. _

There it was again. They kept leaving Frankie out. And Sirius really had been busy.

_Olivia told us all about it when she came in._

_It was an unfortunate mishap with this really cool Invisibility Cloak my dad sent me. Imagine all of the great pranks we can do with it! We can even track down and beat up the Thestral that got you. _

So, that was where the whole Invisibility Cloak dilemma had come from. Remus wished that Jamie's dad knew what he had sentenced the whole school to for the next seven years, if Jamie wasn't expelled by then.

_It's a shame. I really want you to come back quickly. We need you for History of Magic. Binns keeps calling me Jeremy Perwin. I don't know if he's noticed I'm a girl. Maybe it's the hair. But we're all falling behind. And, of course, we need you for your great friendship._

_There was a match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I wish I hadn't missed tryouts, stuck in detention with bloody Filch. The schedule for the matches is all mixed up and behind this year, because of that player who went missing last time, but it was still amazing._

_Ravenclaw smashed Slytherin, obviously, but I can't say that old Laughalot hasn't got a few really good players this year._

_And don't worry about the whole writing thing. We get it. Although I can't help but feel that Sirius still blames herself for what happened. I've tried talking her round, but she is unbelievably stubborn._

_I promise we won't be mouldy toadstools or break into any more dormitories. Gingernuts has been complaining to you, has he? _

Yes, and you've already let Sirius break that promise.

_My dad told me about your little escapade in St. Mungo's. He thinks it's all really funny. Me and Sirius found out that we're blood related, even if distantly. It really shouldn't come as a surprise though. I suppose most Purebloods are related, one way or another._

Remus chuckled, remembering Jamie's father, and the wizard she knocked over. Maybe Sirius and Jamie being related explained the madness.

_There's not much to tell you about what's been going on, apart from the Slytherins being complete arsehats as usual, and the dorm being set on fire._

_We have to stay in the hospital wing until the House Elves have time to fix it all for us. It's so badly damaged, they might have to get teachers in to help. The older years aren't happy about that, I bet. They've got to be hiding all that contraband as we speak._

_It's even worse between us and Dolores now. We had a detention with Snivella, and Evans, and a massive dung fight broke out. I think even Kettleburn was placing bets. _

_He must've lost, because he was in a bad mood, and sent us to clean the loos after Myrtle and Peeves threw a toilet roll party. We learnt that Filch is a Squib. At least we know he can't do magic to stop us now. That's where we have the upper hand. If only I'd known..._

_So Dolores came in, and Sirius totally throttled her. The Slytherins are out for blood now, and we only saved Evans from them at the Quidditch match in a nick of time. We're still trying to keep an eye on him._

_I've gone on long enough. It's not the same when I can't see your zombie face emerge from your blankets in the morning. Get your arse back here quickly._

_Your favourite mouldy mushroom_.

Remus blinked. It was a lot to take in. Cults, cloaks, break-ins, bets, dung fights, Quidditch rivalry, squibs, toilet roll parties with ghosts, and owls on fire. Oh, they had been busy.

Jaaaaammmmiiiiieeeeee!

_Miss you, too. And Frankie's not "standing in for me", she's one of us, and you shouldn't treat her otherwise. It's bad enough with Sirius making her feel like she doesn't belong, without you doing it as well. You should know better._

_I've heard about all the little cults you've all been starting. Well, Sirius mainly. And I've been hearing a lot about this Invisibility Cloak of yours. Even Lillian knows about it. Sirius broke into their room, again! Can you believe it? She really doesn't know when to stop. I wonder if your father knew what he was condemning Hogwarts to when he gave you that cloak. _

_I'll be back soon, I promise. And it was the Thestral, not bloody Sirius! Why can't that get through her thick skull? A mind of a genius when it comes to stupidity and pranks, but she can't accept the simple truth. You need to remind her. I've never met anyone quite so stubborn in my entire life. Well, apart from you, maybe. It must be those shared genes of yours. Pardon me saying this, but _ugh!

_I can't say I've been up to anything nearly as interesting as you lot, with setting rooms on fire, becoming gods, and ruining Quidditch matches._

_You're all still mouldy toadstools._


	55. Ten Galleons Says McGoogly Was In On It

Jamie thumped down on her bed, which had been repaired again. She pulled the freshly laundered sheets up to her nose, messing them up again, and inhaled. 'Oh, it's good to be back,' she said blissfully.

Petra bounced on her bed. 'It is, isn't it?' It had been a couple of days since their fight in the hospital wing, and all arguments and grudges were left in the past.

Frankie stood by her table, checking all of her newly mended photographs and ornaments. 'The Elves have done a good job of fixing everything,' she said, looking around admiringly.

'Ten Galleons says McGoogly was in on it,' said Jamie.

'Not gonna bet against that,' said Petra, chuckling. 'I'm too broke, anyway.'

'But where's Sirius?' Frankie asked. 'She should be back by now.'

Jamie snorted, walking to the middle of the room. 'Ah, well. She's probably holed up somewhere in the ruddy library. I haven't seen her properly for ages. She's turning into a bit of a lonely basilisk if you ask me.'

'_She's_ right behind you,' said a voice beside her ear.

Jamie turned sharply, to see a sullen-looking Sirius brushing past her. Her black hair was hanging over her eyes in tufts, and her eyes were slate-grey and hard.

'Well, there she is!' crowed Jamie. 'The Black lion returns home at last.'

Sirius fixed her with a cold look. 'Don't get on my nerves now, Potter.'

'Oooooo!' teased Jamie. 'What's the matter with you?'

Sirius whirled around angrily, like she was about to either slap Jamie, or give her a sharp retort, but made a visible effort to stop herself. 'Nothing,' she said, giving a forced smile. 'Just a bit on edge.'

Frankie retreated to her bed, sensing a storm coming. She didn't want to be involved in it. She shot Petra a warning look, and Petra stayed out of Jamie and Sirius's way.

They'd both already received the brunt of their anger too often these past couple days.

'What about?' Jamie asked, no longer joking. She grabbed Sirius's arm, and pulled her down next to her on the bed. She put her arm around her. 'Tell me.'

Sirius stiffened at the touch on her shoulder, but didn't shrug it off. 'I dunno.'

Jamie lowered her voice, so that the other two wouldn't hear. 'Are you still beating yourself up about Remus? 'Cos you know that wasn't your fault, mate. Right?'

Sirius shrugged. 'I dunno,' she repeated, sounding like she had a bad head-cold. 'Could've been. I mean, they all saw. It was me. I made it worse.'

Jamie squeezed her arm tightly. 'Come on, now. Something had already happened to her before, when she went away.' Jamie frowned. 'That Thestral got her good, and she didn't tell us. If I'm going to be honest, maybe playing bedroom Quidditch with us wasn't the greatest idea she's ever had.'

Sirius gritted her teeth. 'Look, Jamie,' she said lowly, 'I don't think it was a Thestral that got her.'

'Don't be daft! What else could it have been? And her story is pretty believable.'

'Exactly. Which shows she's done this sort of thing before. Thestrals might injure you, but I've talked to Hagrid, and looked in the library, and it doesn't add up. Hagrid was acting all bleeding dodgy about the whole palava, too. Something's up.'

'So that's why you've been all nerded up in the library!' exclaimed Jamie.

'Yes,' said Sirius tersely. 'And you can let go of my arm now.'

Jamie didn't. A serious expression came over her face. 'I'm gonna be honest, I think you're making a great deal out of nothing. I hope you didn't write anything of the sort in your letter.'

Sirius looked at her guiltily.

Jamie smacked her hard. 'Oh, Black, you great big bloody idiot, you didn't!'

'I know, I know, I shouldn't have, but she's my friend, and I'm worried about her!'

'Think about it!' commanded Jamie. 'Why in the name of Merlin's baggiest bra would she lie about this?'

'Erm... I dunno... because the real reason could be actually WORSE?' said Sirius sarcastically. She wrinkled her nose. 'Besides, I'm not sure about Merlin wearing a bra. I hope he doesn't.'

'That's beyond the point!'

'What _is _your point, then?' shouted Sirius, standing up. Petra and Frankie carefully avoided eye-contact with either of them.

'My point is, stop buggering on at Remus about this, and don't send her letters that only stress her out! She's been attacked by a Thestral, for Mordred's sake! And stop blaming yourself!'

Sirius froze, looking at her, the skin around her eyes red and damp. She opened her mouth to retort angrily, then shrugged. She walked defeatedly over to her own bed, and slumped down on it, pulling the curtains closed around her, and closing her eyes.

Remus held the last letter between her fingers, and stared at it blankly. She desperately wanted to know what Sirius had written to her, but at the same time she wasn't ready to endure a whole tirade of self-blame and reproach, as well as dangerous secrets and questions she couldn't answer.

'Bugger it,' she muttered, as she gave in, and tore the envelope open eagerly. She scanned the words hungrily.

_Remus. _

_It's me, Sirius, and I miss you so much. I'm so, so, sorry, and I hope you can forgive me one day. It's all my fault. And you don't have to lie to me about the Thestral in the forest. I know, I know, stop interfering with your private business. But I'm part of the problem, and I want to help. _

Directly to the point as usual, with no prelude. That was Sirius Black for you. Despite the anxiety that welled up in her at Sirius's words, Remus had to admit she was impressed by how sharp she was. But why did she keep blaming herself? It frustrated Remus, and the worst thing was, she couldn't even tell Sirius the truth; what the problem actually was, because then it would be Sirius who hated Remus, Sirius who blamed Remus.

_I understand if you hate me, and never want to speak to me again, but please. You can trust me with anything. You know you can. I'd never tell anyone, and I'd never judge you for anything. I can help you, if that's what you want. I've got big secrets, too._

Remus chuckled darkly. Secrets? Never as big as hers. Although Sirius's relentless questioning of her was annoying, she couldn't help but feel extremely touched. She wished that she could tell her. It might stop her from blaming herself.

_Your story's very clever, by the way. Thestrals are magical, which explains why even Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal you. And Thestrals are Invisible, which means you can't for sure tell anyone what attacked you. Do your parents know the truth, or did you tell them the Thestral story too?_

Remus felt sick with worry. If Sirius knew something was up, then there was no telling who else did.

_You seem to have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. I know it's rather presumptuous of me to start making assumptions about what's your personal stuff, and your business, and yours alone, especially when I've done what I did, but please just tell us what's been going on. It's been happening for too long_.

_I'm also sorry for breaking into Lillian's room, and stealing your letter. There's no excuse, but we were all so worried, and you hadn't written, and I wanted to know if you were okay. All of us care about you, Remus. A lot. Again, I'm sorry if this letter isn't what you want, or if it makes you even angrier with me than you already were, but I had to say it. I'm sorry._

_Sirius._

Remus stared at the letter, the smile long since faded from her face. Why couldn't Sirius just be like the others and mind her own business? Remus could ignore her, but she knew from experience now that that didn't work. In fact, it just made things worse.

She'd have to reply, but it would be a short note. 

_Sirius,_

_I miss you, too. But this has all gone on long enough. You've got to stop apologising, got to stop harping on about, and yes, you've got to stop interfering and asking questions that are none of your business._

_The Thestral thing wasn't a lie, I really have been bitten, and I'd appreciate a get-well-soon note from my friend, or even, like Jamie sent, practically a Hogwarts newspaper with added jokes and an extra long gossip column. I'm looking at you, Barbarossa. Or whatever they're calling you these days. Not a long list of misery and regret that's quite uncalled for. For the last time, there is no problem, and you don't need to help._

Remus felt terrible about lying to her friend, but she'd been doing it since the start of the year, so it was nothing new. It just felt more personal now. It wasn't like her parents hadn't warned her, she thought, gloomily. Perhaps she should have listened to them. They had known something like this was inevitable. Sirius's letters would have to be hidden, because if they ever found out that Sirius was even remotely on to her, they wold freak out, and probably put Remus in hiding. Her whole life ruined, just like that. Well, even more ruined than it already was. 

Hogwarts was probably just a huge mistake. Who had she been kidding, a werewolf in a school of young witches and wizards? She was dangerous to them, as well as herself. And no matter what any of them claimed, they could never be trusted with her secret. If she trusted them, and told them, once they knew, all promises would go flying out the window, and Remus would find herself locked up in a nice cell at the Ministry, awaiting Registration that would restrict what she could do with her life, and probably force her to give up her wand. 

She reached for her wand on the nightstand, and gripped it, feeling the comforting spark of magic beneath her fingertips. She put it under her pillow carefully. No, she wasn't ready to give up this dream she had been entertaining, so Sirius would just have to suck it up, and keep her suspicions to herself.

_I don't hate you, you stupid son of a spattergroit infested fire-crab. You're being dramatic about nothing, as usual. I suppose it's those Black genes in you, eh?_

Remus scoffed at Sirius's idea of "big secrets". Please. Sirius probably meant that her parents practiced a bit of hokey-pokey Dark Magic in a secret lair in the basement. The whole Wizarding World knew. The Blacks were notorious for it. If Sirius thought _that_ was big news, then she was _really_ kidding herself. And the Blacks were so rich and powerful, that the Ministry didn't even care, and turned a blind eye. Just like they'd done so many times, only to keep their bellies full, and their pockets comfortably lined.

_And yes, my story is clever, because it's TRUE! Get that into your thick skull! Or I will get Lillian, Jamie, Frankie and Petra to do it for you the hard way, all at once! I might even get Mason, that poor boy, to join in and help. My parents know everything, and like every other normal person who knows me on this planet, they are doing their best to see to it that I get better soon, so I can come knock some sense into you myself when I get back._

_I'm not angry with you, I'm just a little bit tired of it all. There is no Big Conspiracy. I'm sorry that I worried you all, and yes, I should have written sooner. But that doesn't mean you go absolutely bat-dung crazy, and do whatever you've been doing! I've heard about all those new religions you've been starting, my Lady Brocklewank the Headless Goddess of Gryffindor. You should watch it. Write me a new letter, that we'll both like more. This isn't healthy or funny._

_AND STOP BREAKING INTO LILLIAN'S ROOM!_

_Your slightly pissed off mate who nothing bad is happening to,_

_Remus._

Remus groaned and shoved her head into her hands. She twisted her fingers in the short, tawny mess. Only Sirius could do this to her. And now she'd lied to her shamelessly. Ugh.


	56. His Name is Voldemort

There was a knock on the door. Dumbledore shuffled the documents he had been looking at into a pile, and folded his hands under his chin. 'Come in, Minerva!' he called.

She pushed the door open, and stepped in, looking distinctly ruffled. 'How did you know it was me, Albus?'

He smiled, his eyes twinkling mysteriously. 'I have my ways, Minerva,' he answered mysteriously, causing her to press her lips together in annoyance. 'Now, I presume you have a reason for your gracious visit to my humble study today?'

'Hardly humble,' said McGonagall snidely, gesturing at the airy room lined with portraits and gold and silver instruments.

Dumbledore chuckled. 'You seem rather... _vexed_, Minerva. Everything is all right with you, I hope?'

McGonagall cleared her throat. 'As a matter of fact, there are some rather pressing matters that I'd like to speak with you about--'

Dumbledore cut her off. 'Did you hear about the exploits of our Gryffindor First Years? Reminds me of when I burnt my bed drapes in Fourth Year,' he said reminiscently. 'Accidentally, of course.'

'Yes,' said Minerva tersely. 'I did hear about "the exploits of our Gryffindor First Years". I was there, in fact. And so were several of the Sixth Years, who photographed the whole incident, and no doubt the whole school knows about it now. Yet again, my house never fails to shock and disappoint me,' she said sourly.

The corners of Dumbledore's lips twitched. 'But no doubt you remember some of your own... _adventures_ when you were a student under my care. I'd nearly forgotten what you did to old Bertie Bott in your Fifth Year... That was truly an excellent sample of wandwork.'

Minerva looked at him sharply, and he stopped quickly. 'That's quite enough, Albus,' she said, smoothing the front of her robes. 'My... rowdiness and disorderliness are things of the past.'

His eyes twinkled maddeningly, and not for the first time, Minerva found herself asking why she put up with him. 'I can tell we're going to have an interesting next seven years,' he mused. 'Black and Potter have quite the penchant and proclivity for getting into trouble, so I've heard.'

Minerva snorted. 'If they're not expelled by then.'

'I should hope not... I should hope not...' he replied, looking distant.

Minerva felt it was time to take control of the situation again. 'Leaving that behind us, there were other things I think need to be seen to. Professor Paisley, and the situation, to begin with. We've gotten nowhere, and Persephone tells me she still has grounds for believing that some of our students from Slytherin House are still talking to -- to You-Know-Who,' she said with difficulty.

'His name is _Voldemort,_ Minerva,' said Dumbledore calmly.

McGonagall flinched as if she'd been slapped. She looked at him, and shifted in the seat before his desk. 'Oh, I wish you wouldn't!' she said irritably, pulling at her sleeve in agitation.

'Our fear only adds to his power,' said Dumbledore without expression. 'And I have no intention of letting Tom Riddle have power over myself, or any of the people under my care.'

Minerva stared at him for a minute, then nodded. 'The point is, it's happening, and we have got to stop it. There are young, impressionable minds in this castle, minds that are being shaped and broadened as we speak, and they've got to be shaped by the right people. These children -- under _your_ care, Albus -- they're the next generation of Witches and Wizards, and they are who we're going to be.'

Dumbledore looked at her thoughtfully. 'We will continue to keep an eye on them. The Floo Networks will be watched carefully. And, Minerva...' he said, 'do not hesitate to come to me if anything, even the slightest thing makes you worry or catches your attention. It could be the key.'

Minerva nodded stiffly, and walked to the door, frustrated by the lack of action. Her mind was still not at ease.

The weekend drew to a close, and Remus had not replied yet. Jamie was quickly growing tired of reassuring Sirius, and telling her Remus wasn't ignoring them again, she was just busy, and after all, they had sent her a massive stack of letters, especially if you included ol' Gingernuts, and he was sure to have sent a plethora of essay length letters to her.

Sirius was also tired of reassuring Jamie that Remus and Lillian were not sending each other love letters either. Jamie would then turn around and tell Sirius to shut up because she _really _didn't care if they were sending love letters, and then the two would start squabbling and arguing again.

Frankie and Petra were keeping well out of both of their ways these days.

The two girls walking in front refused to look at each other as they walked to Transfiguration, and Sirius's nose was held imperiously in the air. Jamie made a face at her when Sirius wasn't looking, and stepped promptly into a false stair as she wasn't paying attention. She tried to move her foot, and grunted in frustration when she couldn't. Sirius turned around at the noise, and let out a bark of laughter as other Gryffindors and several Ravenclaws piled up behind them.

Xenophilius Lovegood, who was right behind them approached and took a closer look at Jamie's trapped ankle. He examined it carefully, before straightening up, and looking at Jamie. ' 'Tis the Curse of the Warped Wanklebamgner,' he said gravely, before shoving past them, and knocking Petra's books onto the floor.

Petra hissed angrily, before stooping to collect them. 'Not even a bloody "sorry" from him.'

Sirius nudged her. 'Well, that's Xeno for you.'

Jamie tried to yank her ankle up and down, growling in frustration. 'Can you please get a move on?' shouted an older Ravenclaw from somewhere down the staircase. Everyone was muttering and shoving discontentedly, and it didn't help that the staircase had just moved, and they were all suspended in the middle of nowhere.

'Now look what you've done!' shouted Lindsay Hathwick, a Sixth Year Ravenclaw Jamie recognised from the Quidditch stands.

Jamie turned around angrily to tell her just what she thought of that, but Peeves zoomed past and grabbed her glasses off her face. 'PEEVES!' she roared. 'Sirius, help me!'

Sirius jumped at the air, and tried to grab Peeves, but he just smiled his pumpkin grin at her, and bobbed upwards just where she couldn't reach. 'Peevesy's got Potter's glasses!' he cackled, shoving them on his odd nose. 'Peevesy's wearing Potty Wee Potter's glasses!'

Frankie dropped to her knees on the staircase and sat down.

Benjy Fenwick somehow shoved his way to the front of the crowd. 'Come on Peeves,' he said boldly, glancing sideways to make sure Sirius was watching. 'Give them here now. This is childish and foolish, and we've all got classes to go to.'

Sirius rolled her eyes once he wasn't looking, and Jamie continued to grumble and tug at her foot.

Peeves stared at Benjy, seemingly shocked, and Benjy swelled. The whole staircase held its breath. Then Peeves burst into a flurry of cackles. 'Peevesy does what he likes! Peevesy doesn't listen to stupid Ravenclaw nerdy neRDY NERDY NERDS!'

Benjy frowned. 'That statement is contradictory.'

Jamie shook her head, and muttered. Her short, black hair swayed around her neck.

Peeves zoomed down and tweaked Benjy's nose painfully, causing his eyes to water, and tossed Jamie's glasses several floors below. Benjy shrieked.

Jamie turned and howled at the crunching sound her glasses made as they reached the stone floor. She leaned over the stone bannister and leaned out desperately. 'NOOOOOOOO!'

Sirius quickly pulled her back. If it hadn't been for the trick stair, she probably would have fallen and met her demise.

'MY GLASSES!' shouted Jamie, before twisting around painfully to face Benjy. 'Nice work, Fenwick, you LOSER! AND SIRIUS DOESN'T LIKE YOU BY THE WAY!'

The agitated crowd ooohed and aaahed at the drama, but Sirius, usually the one at the middle of it all, covered her face with her hands.

Benjy paled and stuttered. 'Whaa-- what -- what do you mean?' he asked laughing nervously. 'Of course -- of course she doesn't -- why would --'

Peeves zoomed past again, and made a lunge for Xenophilius Lovegood's onion necklace. By the time the crowd's attention had returned to the girls on the staircase, Benjy was long gone.

'Well, at least _that_ tosser's gone,' said Jamie irritably. 'And I've got rid of your not-so-secret admirer for you.'

'Thanks,' said Sirius gratefully. 'It was starting to get a little bit tiring, trying to make out what he was saying between all the stuttering and shuffling.'

'Oh, I'm sure he'd _love_ for you to _make out_ the words he's saying,' said Jamie darkly.

Sirius raised her eyebrows.

'Look,' said Lindsay Hathwick again, 'if you don't move, I'm going to call McGonagall. Some of us have to get to class.'

'All right, all right, hold your hippogriffs,' yelled Sirius. 'We're working on it.'

Lindsay huffed and tossed her head, but didn't say anything.

Jamie tried to yank her foot out, panting and swatting at Peeves as he tugged at her strands of hair. No one pointed out that she was slapping in entirely the wrong direction, thanks to what Peeves had done to her glasses.

'Well, come on, help me, you useless piece of lard!' she hissed at Sirius.

Sirius looked affronted. 'Not with an attitude like that, you fat pillock!'

Petra and Frankie exchanged looks and moved away from the two girls. They'd been on the verge of explosion all morning and now the volcano really had erupted.

'Oh, _I'm_ the pillock?' shouted Jamie, slapping at Peeves, who had begun to sing another offensive song. 'I'm not the one standing there like a dead murtlap's arse on fire!'

'_Beat her up, _  
_Pull her hair,_  
_Where there's trouble _  
_Peeves'll be there!'_

'Buggering bollock head!' Sirius returned. 'You'd know what a dead murtlap's arse is like, wouldn't you?'

'You're a giant can of rubbish and diarrhoea, you know!' said Jamie.

'Classy,' said Lindsay Hathwick.

Sirius whipped around, and jabbed a finger viciously in her direction. 'Now you stay out of this, you little--'

Frankie tugged on Sirius's arm, but Sirius shook her off.

Jamie and Sirius were both shrieking at each other unintelligibly, Lindsay as well, and Peeves was cackling in shrill delight --

'Enough!'

Sirius whirled around in alarm, and Jamie did her best to, but her trapped foot made matters more difficult.

Professor McGonagall stood behind them, her lips white and in a thin line, her arms folded. The look on her face was like blurry thunder. Thanks to her missing glasses, Jamie didn't get the full effect of McGonagall's long-perfected accusatory stare.

Peeves blew one last raspberry, and zoomed off backwards.

'Detention, my office, after class.'

Jamie groaned.

'You brought this on yourself, Potter.' She pointed her wand at the trick step, and it released Jamie's foot immediately.

She bent down to rub it. 'Blimey!' she said. 'You'll have to teach me that one. I wish we knew that one --'

'Fifteen minutes ago,' said McGonagall crisply. 'Which, incidentally, is how late you are for my class.'

The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor First Years trailed after her to the Transfiguration classroom, facing rude gestures from delayed older students when old Minnie McG's back was turned.

As soon as they were all behind their desks, Professor McGonagall started teaching.

Sirius sat deliberately beside Xenophilius Lovegood, shooting a dirty look at Jamie as she did so.

Jamie squinted at the board, unable to see. A wad of paper hit her shoulder, and she glared in Sirius's direction, but she was busy writing notes to Xeno.

She unfolded it, and narrowed her eyes at the neat, purposely large script.

_So that's how girls fight, eh?_

Jamie frowned at it, and scanned the blurry classroom. A pale circle covered in a generous dollop of red was staring at her expectantly.

Her eyes widened as she realised that _Evans_ \-- Evans of all people -- was writing notes to her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she told herself firmly it was surprise.

_How do boys fight that's so different?_

She scribbled it on the back of the crumpled parchment, and tossed it back when some Ravenclaw was hurling a barrage of questions at a slightly overwhelmed McGonagall.

_Not like that. I rescued your glasses, by the way._

Jamie turned around to look at him, but didn't see the glasses. She was too far away.

_Thanks. But they were smashed. How?_

_I was late anyway, and I saw them hit Mulciber. Normally, I wouldn't get your glasses for you, but I did it just for that._

Jamie chuckled.

_That was pretty great, wasn't it? I mean, I don't really need glasses, my eyes work just fine, but thanks anyway. _

The note that Lillian tossed was slightly off course, but Jamie leant and caught it deftly in her hand.

_Nice try, Potter. You're blind as a bat. Can you even see me properly?_

Jamie flushed.

_I can see well enough to do that spectacular catch you just saw._

She tossed her note with extra careful aim.

_Don't show off. It wasn't that great. It was mediocre, considering you can't see clearly. Let's see how well you can catch your glasses._

Jamie turned around just in time to see her amazingly well-mended glasses zoom blurrily past her head. She caught them by the ends. 'Gotcha!' she said triumphantly.

McGonagall turned around, and saw all the paper surrounding Jamie. 'Double detention, Potter,' she said nonchalantly, before going back to teaching.

Life was a bitch, like Jamie's grandfather used to say, before he died of a severe case of Spattergroit.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first proper go at writing fanfiction, although I have some experience writing other things, so please don't hesitate to leave feedback and comments! Despite having most of the book already written, I'm going to publish it bit by bit, so don't be discouraged by the lack of chapters. I'm on wattpad under the same name, and tumblr: remus-la-swearwolf.  
Hope you enjoy,  
~remus_la_swearwolf


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